Samoa still loves its hero Tua

FROM SAMOA

He may have lost the biggest boxing match of his life, but David Tua remains larger than life in the country of his birth.

The Tua-Lennox Lewis fight brought Samoa to a standstill, but in his home village of Faleatiu, 28km from Apia, the preparations and celebrations began long before the bout.

About 500 people crammed into a village building to watch the fight on a big-screen television, said shopkeeper Naitua Aiono.

"All the people of the village gathered in the pastor's house. It's a big building, but there wasn't enough space and some of them were standing outside watching the screen.

"We had a big church service and after the service everyone had a barbecue meal around the house and then after the food, when the fight started, we all gathered inside the house."

She said every villager proudly wore traditional necklaces and woven crowns to replicate the "uniform" made famous by challenger Tua.

Villagers wore white T-shirts and red lavalavas, an outfit Tua has favoured as his pre-fight garb. Villagers also wore ulafala - a necklace worn by matai (chiefs) on important occasions.

"Everyone feels very happy - we're proud of him because even though he lost he came up against the champion of the world," Aiono said.

"We all looked up to him - it's just a problem that he's short and Lewis is very tall."

Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said Tua's challenge had done great things for Samoa and New Zealand.

It's still a great achievement."

- NZPA

Herald Online feature: the Tua fight