In a large church hall near the Samoan parliament, 175-kg (386-lb) judo practiti...
APIA, Samoa - In a large church hall near the Samoan parliament, 175-kg judo practitioner Derek Sua is being thrown to the mat by his Japanese coach, a black-belt who is just a third his size.
“It’s not easy, because here in the Pacific for us, especially Pacific islanders, we have limited competition,” Sua said. “Because we need to find funding to travel overseas and compete.” Sometimes called “soft” or “cultural” diplomacy, such programs can extend beyond sports to language exchanges and the arts, with the aim of advancing foreign policy goals.
China had already hosted Samoan athletes ahead of the Olympic-styled Pacific Games, held in Samoa in July, while training chefs and performers for the opening and closing ceremonies, he added. Originating in Japan, judo makes use of grip fighting and throws that have proved to be effective techniques for mixed martial art competitions.
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