Le Malae Sports
Our Samoan people have many outstanding sporting athletes and teams which we support and in here we report on their achievements.
Le Malae Sports : Samoa
Samoa unbeaten in PacificAus Netball tournament as they head into Finals after defeating Scotland.
February 21, 2025 Samoa's latest win against Scotland solidifies their position as top team of the PacificAus Netball Series.
The Samoan flag has been flying high with pride as our young women have been leading the way with an unbeaten record so far in this tournament of the top Pacific teams in Netball as well as the Scottish team. Last night Tifa i Moana completed it's undefeated run against the 4 teams that are in this competition. Tonga the reigning champion fell first, then Fiji, Papua New Guinea and now Scotland have all lost to a very athletic squad from Samoa.
The girls in blue will finish off the tournament with a final game against Tonga. Wishing them the best in their last game. Bring it home girls.
David Tua is not slowing down. He is ready to take on any challenger.
David Tua leaves fans jaw-dropped and hoping for a comeback
Samoa's premiere Boxer, David Tua, has been seen working out in the gym and training in his village of Faleatiu. He hasnt been scheduled for a fight, although there are rumors floating around that he could entertain a fight against a social media icon such as Jake Paul, or even a match against the aging Mike Tyson, a fight that many have wondered about since they were both in their prime, but never met in the ring. But the man seems to be preparing for the possibility, which seems to indicate he is getting antsy for some action. By the looks of his physique, he looks like a powerful puncher still. However, the first thing to go are the legs and that is perhaps where the reluctance could be.
In one of their latest posts, Boxing Kingdom took to X and shared a photo of former WBO Oriental and Asia Pacific Heavyweight and WBC Heavyweight champion, David Tua. In the photo, 51-year-old David Tua is seen posing inside a training center after a hardcore workout session. While Tua, who had 43 knockouts in professional boxing looks at the camera sternly, sweat drips from his muscular physique.
Anyway, in 2002 when Michael Moorer went up against Tua, the boxer from New Zealand knocked out his opponent within the first round. Having pushed Moorer to a corner, Tua hit him with a body shot followed by a right hook to the head. On the other hand, in 1996, with the WBC Heavyweight title on the line, within the first 20 seconds of the fight, Tua knocked out Ruiz. As a result, a fan stated, “John Ruiz and Michael Moorer still see this dude in nightmares“.
Similarly, one fan recalled when Tua Knocked out Ruiz on the undercard of Pernell Whittaker vs. Wilfredo Rivera.
Meanwhile, one claimed Tua did not look his age. “Looks younger so good for him!” they added.
Meanwhile one hoped Tua would return and fight Mike Tyson.
However, one joked about seeing Tua against John Fury, the father of Tyson Fury.
David Tua is not one to take jokes about his fighting ability or his age lightly as was witnessed the last time anyone was stupid enough to joke about him being "old". Shane Cameron, learned the hard way, never make David Tua angry. As was predicted by David, he ended the up and coming star from New Zealand's career just as he was about to take off, due to the disrespect he showed David Tua as did his coach with the lights out comment. As a result David endedboxer has that career abruptly in a 2 round slaughter that was quite brutal, even for David.
The only thing that seems to be lacking is an opponent. Not many boxers at his age would risk injury to the heavy fisted David. The young ones are probably not willing to risk their status either. It remains to be seen whether he will fight again, but the lure of the bright lights seem to be calling David and he knows that it's now or never.
Le Malae Sports: Australia & NZ
Young Samoan golfer aims for Global glory
By Uale Tofilau • 17 January 2025, 5:00PM
At just eight years old, Brigham Setu is already making waves in the golfing world, preparing to represent Samoa in the prestigious 2025 ‘Champion of Champions’ World Championship in Ireland.
His journey began by simply wanting to outdrive his grandfather. It has turned into a remarkable story of talent, hard work, and family support.
Brigham first picked up a golf club in January 2024 when his parents took him to a driving range for fun. By February of the same year, he competed in his first local tournament, and since then, his passion for the sport has grown.
Inspired by the challenge of matching his grandfather’s skills, Brigham soon began competing regularly. His father shared that one of his earliest highlights was tying in a match against his grandfather after losing their first game.
Brigham’s achievements so far include winning the nine-hole Cameron Smith Junior Competition in November 2024, where he competed against 72 junior players aged 6 to 14. He has also claimed five local tournament victories and secured third place in the Australian Challenge held in Melbourne.
Preparing for the upcoming world championship has been a family effort. After a holiday in Sydney at the home of his uncle, former Toa Samoa Lagi Setu, Brigham returned to training with his father Waita Setu, uncle Joss, and professional coach John Hempstock at the Pacific Golf Club in Brisbane.
Despite his early success, the journey hasn’t been without challenges. His father notes that Brigham tends to be hard on himself, especially when things don’t go his way on the course. However, with the support of his family—especially his mother, who provides emotional comfort—Brigham is learning to focus on lessons rather than setbacks.
“We just let him be a kid off the course,” his dad, the senior Setu said. “He loves hanging out with his cousins, having sleepovers, and playing PlayStation. His golf journey is driven by him. We’re just his Uber drivers!”
Representing Samoa at such a prestigious event is a source of great pride for the Setu family.
“When he carries the Samoan flag at the opening ceremony, it will be an emotional moment. He’s not just playing for himself but for all those who’ve supported him. It’s a symbol of hope, pride, and unity for Samoa,” his father expressed.
Brigham’s primary goal for the tournament is to secure a top-three finish, a dream that came earlier than expected, as he originally aimed to qualify within two years. He also draws inspiration from professional golfers Tony Finau, an islander like himself, and Cameron Smith, whose competitions he loves.
For young Samoans interested in golf, Brigham’s father offers simple but heartfelt advice: “Enjoy the journey with your kids. Let them have fun on the course, and remember—always have fun!”
Brigham Setu’s story is a testament to the power of passion, family support, and the resilience of Samoa’s young athletes. As he continues his journey towards the ‘Champion of Champions’ World Championship, Brigham is not only chasing his dreams but also inspiring a generation of young Samoans to believe in themselves and aim for greatness on the world stage.
Destanee Aiava is a rising star in Australia's Grand Slam Tennis.
Destanee Aiava a Samoan tennis player living in Australia, is making waves at the current Australian Open. She has become a darling of the Aussie Tennis crowd. Her recent win over Greet Minnen of Belgium, has set her on a trajectory for great things to come.
Aiava's watershed win, from a set and 5-2 down, means she is expected to improve her ranking to around world No.170.
She will also receive at least A$200,000 – and more if she keeps winning at Melbourne Park – following three qualifying wins and a first-round main-draw victory.
"It means that I can bring someone to travel with this year, and I can afford to actually go to all the tournaments that I want to," Aiava said.
"I struggle travelling on my own. The fact that I get to bring my fiancé with me and hopefully one of my family members to the big ones, it makes a world of a difference."
Aiava was one set and 2-5 down, and then trailed 3-5 in the third set before she surged back to beat a Belgian player, Greet Minnen, at close to midnight. She said coming through qualifying in 2025 has given her a boost. “Now that I’ve actually qualified, it does feel so much better to actually earn my way in,” she said.
To see her victory on Monday night, court three was packed with thousands of fans including hundreds of children, many with flags celebrating her Samoan heritage. Aiava said this pressure of expectation would have once put her off. “Nowadays, I enjoy it,” she said. “Maybe it’s because I’m older now and I’ve dealt with these kinds of situations a lot more, I’m able to handle it a lot better, and know that there are kids that I am inspiring.”
Jai Opetaia wins by 4th round KO. What's next? Oleksanda Usyk?
Australia's IBF and The Ring Cruiserweight World Champion, Jai Opetaia ended the brutal four round fight against New Zealand's undefeated KO specialist David Nyika, with a devastating left hook at the end of a vicious combination of punches that ended the entertaining and brutal affair.
It was not a one sided affair as both fighters were hit and delivered punishing blows to each other. Jai did drop the Kiwi before he delivered the finishing blows. Although it was a tough fight, the end was never in doubt in Jai's mind as he seeks to launch from this fight, a unification bout with Gilberto Ramirez of Mexico. If he is successful there, he wants to unify the cruiserweight titles under his name, with a cruiserweight title unification bout against WBC champion Badou Jack.
Jai Opetaia is a Samoan fighter who has been fighting out of Australia since 2010. In 2011 he represented Australia in the Junior World Championships held in Kazakhstan where he won the first ever gold medal for an Aussie in these games. He was only 16 years old at the time.
In 2012 he represented Australia in the Olympics and came away without a medal but from that experience while he was a 17yr old he became a professional fighter at age 19. 12 years later his professional record is 29-0 with 21 KOs. Promoters are excited at the future of Jai, as they envision a fight against the current world heavyweight champ in the near future.
Jai Opetaia seems destined to a similar trajectory that current heavyweight champion Oleksanda Usyk, took. Usyk was the cruiserweight champion before moving up to the heavyweight division. If Jai is able to unify the remaining titles, which would be quite a feat in and of itself, he would be in a position that few have ever had the opportunity to achieve. To be concurrent Cruiserweight and Heavyweight champion of the world.
We are very proud to see this son of Samoa excel to the top of the world's best in boxing. God bless Jai as he continues to stay humble and work toward this lofty goal.
Ia tafe toto ou ala Jai!
Le Malae Sports : USA
Three Samoans who played in the NFL Superbowl 2025 game in New Orleans.
Jordan Mailata, Philadelphia Eagles, Left Tackle.
Jordan Malata, who started the entire season at left tackle for the Eagles Offensive Line, which allowed Eagle QB Jalen Hurts to operate pretty much unmolested for a majority of the game, is perhaps the most amazing story of this NFL season.
By now we know the story of his introduction to the game of American Football, not in the USA, but from Australia. Growing up in Sydney, Australia, Jordan was a rugby league player. He never ever played a down of Gridiron as a young man. But he had the size that caught the eye of American Football scouts and they invited him to try out with the IMG Academy for football in Florida. This was his start into a new world of American football, and his now triumphant return to Aussie as the first Australian to play in and win a Superbowl.
The amazing thing is how fast he acquired professional level skills to compete at the highest level of this sport. Coming from no prior experience and within 6 years playing in 2 Superbowls. The first was in 2021 where Philadelphia lost to Kansas City in a close game. However, following that game in which Mailata was the starting Left Tackle, the NFL were now aware that Mailata was not an experiment. His 6-8, 350lb frame was described as more of a wrecking ball due to his explosive tackles and ability to prevent any Defensive Linemen from reaching the QB was noticed. The last Superbowl held a week ago in New Orleans, was a blowout, as the Eagles demolished Kansas City 40-22.
Mailata has excellent footwork and is not shy in dishing out vicious tackles and blocks. He has been very influential in the run game where Sayquon Barkley has been known to follow Mailata into the hole, and as a result he has found success running against opponents. This led to Mailata receiving contract offers that dwarfed anything he might have earned in Australia. Jordan was a major contributor this year, to the Eagles winning in a landslide against the prior 2 time world champions the Kansas City Chiefs. He celebrated with a Samoan Flag on the field, after the game, where he and his family were very proud of his success.
Juju Smith-Schuster, Kansas City Chiefs, Wide Reciever
Juju Smith Schuster has been in the NFL for 7 seasons since being drafted b y the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2017, after his prolific collegiate career at USC. Juju Smith-Schuster is from Long Beach in Los Angeles. He played for the Steelers and was a very effective receiver for Pittsburgh. Then he was traded to Kansas City where he played in three Superbowls back to back, winning 2 out of 3. The last one was loss to the Philadelphia Eagles a week ago. But he has contributed to the offensive dynamic of Patrick Mahomes and Coach Andy Reid who have been very successful in the last 3 seasons. Juju is a clutch receiver who is also a physical blocker which allows other receivers to run for extra yardage because Juju takes out defenders with devastating blocks. Juju has speed and has been efficient in the red zone where he is a reliable target for Patrick Mahomes. He should be back for more NFL games next season.
Kingsley Suamatai'a, Kansas City Chiefs, Left Tackle.
Kingsley is a rookie who played for Brigham Young University. He was drafted last season and was given time to develop as a potential starter for the Kansas City team. He did start some games but has been dealing with injuries and learning the intricacies of the Professional game in his first season. He is an impressive specimen standing 6ft 5in and weighing over 320lbs. The future looks good for Kingsley and we can only hope he continues to progress in the pro game.
Marcus Mariota, steps in to replace starting QB, and wins the game sending the Washington Commanders into the playoffs.
Marcus Ardel Taulauniu Mariota has played American Football for most of his 31 years. Born October 30, 1993 to Toa Mariota and Alana Deppe-Mariota, Marcus began playing football in Hawaii where he starred for the St. Louis High School football team. His father is Samoan and his mother is German. He was recruited by several universities, but chose to play college football at Oregon, where in 2014 he became the first player from Oregon and the first Hawaii-born Samoan athlete to win the top award in College Football, the Heisman Trophy.
Mariota was selected in the 2015 draft by the Tennessee Titans to play professional football in the NFL. He led the Titans to three consecutive winning seasons from 2016 to 2018 but was replaced as starting quarterback after six games in the 2019 season. The problem was not his skills, because at 6ft 4in and 223lbs he was a perfect physical size for the QB position. His 40 yd dash was a speedy 4.48 sec. That is perhaps one of the faster times for a Quarterback. He was deadly accurate both in short and longer routes, and threw an easy to catch ball. However, he was unable to have a stable coach to develop a game plan that fit his skill set.
Mariota played for the Tennessee Titans from 2015 to 2019, and had five different play-callers during his time with the team. Robiskie was the only play-caller with whom Mariota played for two full seasons. During that time, Mariota set career highs in several categories. This was the most difficult situation for a young Quarterback to face early in his career.
This affected his confidence as he was constantly changing the mechanics and playing style in order to suit the offense that he was required to learn. Each new coach brought in a different offense. Mariota, as good as he was, was never put in a position to build on a foundation. He was constantly having the foundation pulled out and replaced by a new one. Any QB would have been sorely challenged under similar circumstances. Especially in the professional arena.
In 2020, Mariota signed with the Raiders , where he was a backup for two seasons. He then signed with the Falcons in 2022, where he started for most of the season. Mariota spent the 2023 season as a backup for the Eagles before joining the Commanders in 2024.
However, Mariota is still here and performing well. The odds are against him but he will always be secondary to the starting QB who the franchise have spent money to draft or trade for. But, it is encouraging that Mariota is still "young" in terms of his physical strength and ability to move out of the pocket and throw accurately. Meanwhile his ability to sprint downfield has defenses sorely tasked when he is across the line.
In the game played last Sunday Mariota came in for the starting Quarterback who was sacked 4 times. The plan was to get someone in who could run, which Mariota is also able to do better than most QBs finished 15 of 18 for 161 yards and had a 33-yard run that helped set up the winning score, which capped a 91-yard drive.
The coach of the Commanders decided that the starter was not able to run the way needed to win the game and so he sat the starter and in came Marcus. Marcus proceeded to lead the Washington Commanders in rushing yards and in the 4th Quarter with the game on the line, his team behind by 3 points, Mariota ran for 33 yards on a 4th and one, to secure the position from where he lofted a perfect 5 yard pass to receiver Terry McLaurin as time ran out in the game. That score put Washington ahead of the Dallas Cowboys who had led most of the game. This victory allowed Washington to continue playing into the post season as the 6th seed of the NFC.
The coach has indicated that the starter will play against Tampa Bay, in the playoff battle next week. But if they need help winning the game Washington knows they have a supremely competent and effective QB waiting for the call. Our Samoan QB is coming out at the right time.
Manuia le ta'aloga Marcus Mariota.