2024-07-28 17:37:57
On Friday July 26, the day of the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games, Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali saw his coach die in front of him, suffering from an illness. On Sunday, July 28, the Samoan boxer wants to enter the ring for a fight as a final tribute to his coach.
Published on: 07/28/2024 – 7:37 pm.
3 min
With our special correspondent,
His face still bears the scars of his hard fight against the Belgian Victor Schelstraete in the category under 92 kg in JO 2024. The trace of his wound under his left eye, which was treated after the fight, is still visible. But this pain is less than that which Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali has experienced and continues to experience since Friday.
On the morning of July 26, a few hours before the great Olympic ceremony, he saw his coach Lionel Elika Fatupaito leave, having suffered a cardiac arrest at the age of 60. My teacher died before mesaid the 25-year-old boxer, his voice full of emotion. It is very difficult to imagine. He was uncomfortable in front of me. It is amazing. It’s hard for me. »
Read againOlympics 2024, all results
Finding a ring on Sunday is not easy for a man who has known his coach since he was 15 years old.” It is very difficult. I have been in pain for two days, but I have to fight today. » In the ring, with a hard fight, Victor Schelstraete beat him. But the Belgian made a fine gesture at the end of the fight by raising his opponent’s hand as if in victory and encouraging applause from the audience. ” My opponent comforted me, it was good sportconfie Plodzicki-Faoagali. I appreciate the fact that he raised my hand. He beat me and he had all my hands. »
“It’s boxing, it’s life…”
« It takes a big heart to find and box. I don’t know if, personally, I would have had the strength to do itwitness his opponent Schelstraete. He fought with his heart until the end. A big hand to him. »
The defeat is obviously a coincidence in such circumstances for the Samoan, a seeded number in the draw and who can hope to go far without the disaster experienced. ” It’s been a tough few days, but I have no excuses. It’s boxing, it’s life. It is a sport where we train, we fight. And if you lose, you lose. We go back to fighting and training to get stronger. We take care of ourselves and we are stronger. I am enjoying being there, I give 100% and I am proud to represent them The Samoan Islands. »
Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali wants to find peace, just to mourn. But before letting the microphones go, he also, for the first time, his eyes lit up and his eyes lit up when we asked him what kind of person is his coach. ” He is an honest person, very humble and very quiet. I met him in 2015, he brought me balance. Father for me, man of unity. »
To consultOlympic events program
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