ʻEletā Vaiangina Sikahema

Talu mei he taimi naʻe hoko ai ʻa Vaiangina (Vai) Sikahema ko ha tangata ʻakapulu ʻiloa ʻi he akoʻanga māʻolungá pea kamata ke ne tohoakiʻi ʻa e tokanga ʻa e kakai ʻoku nau kumi ha kau vaʻinga maʻá e ʻunivēsití, naʻá ne hoko ko ha tokotaha manakoa.

Naʻá ne tuʻu-ki-muʻa ʻi he ʻakapulú ʻi he ʻUnivēsiti Pilikihami ʻIongí, ʻo ne vaʻinga maʻá e timi hau fakafonua ʻa e Cougars ʻi he 1984. Naʻá ne vaʻinga fakapalofesinale maʻá e ngaahi timi ʻAkapulu Liiki Fakafonua kehekehe pea naʻe tuʻo ua hono ui ia ke kau ʻi he vaʻinga Pro Bowl kimuʻa peá ne hiki ʻo hoko ko ha tokotaha faiongoongo lavameʻa.

Ka naʻe ʻikai ko e “vaʻinga ʻakapulú” mo e “faiongoongo he TV” ʻa e tuʻunga totonu ʻo e tangata anga fakakaumeʻa taʻu 58 ko ʻení.

Naʻe pehē ʻe Sikahema, ʻa ia naʻe hikinimaʻi ko ha Fitungofulu Taki Māʻolunga ʻi he ʻaho 3 ʻo ʻEpeleli 2021, “Naʻe ʻikai ke u teitei fakafalala ki heʻeku taukei he sipotí pe ko ʻeku hoko ko ha tokotaha faiongoongó ke tala ʻaki hoku tuʻungá. ʻOku ou ʻuluaki fakahaaʻi au ko ha foha ʻo e ʻOtuá mo ha mēmipa ʻo e Siasí.”

ʻOkú ne toe hoko foki ko ha husepāniti, tamai, mo e maʻu lakanga fakataulaʻeiki—ko ha ngaahi tuʻunga taʻengata kotoa ia.

Naʻe fāʻeleʻi ʻa ʻEletā Sikahema ʻi he ʻaho 29 ʻo ʻAokosi 1962, ʻi Nukuʻalofa, Tonga kia Sione mo Lupi Sikahema, naʻe ohi hake ia ʻi ha ʻapi naʻe mahuʻinga ai ʻa e fāmilí mo e tuí. Naʻe kau ʻene ngaahi kuí ʻi he kakai Tonga ne fuofua kau ki he Siasí.

ʻI heʻene tupu hake ʻi Mesa, ʻAlesoná, naʻá ne siʻaki ʻene ngaahi teuteu ke hoko ko ha tokotaha fuhu fakapalōfesinalé ʻi he taimi naʻá ne ʻiloʻi ai ʻa hono ngaahi talēniti ʻi he ʻakapulú. ʻI he taimi naʻá ne tali ai ha sikolasipi ke vaʻinga ʻi BYU, naʻe teʻeki ke ʻi ai haʻane palani ke ngāue fakafaifekau taimi kakato.

Naʻe pehē ʻe ʻEletā Sikahema, “Ka naʻá ku feohi mo ha kau talavou ne nau līʻoa moʻoni ki hono moʻui ʻaki e ongoongoleleí, pea naʻá ku fakaʻamu ke u hangē ange ko kinautolú.”

ʻI he 1982, naʻá ne mavahe mei he ʻakapulu ʻi he ʻunivēsití ke ngāue ʻi he Misiona South Dakota Rapid City. ʻI heʻene foki ki BYU ʻi he hili ʻene ngāue fakafaifekaú, naʻá ne fetaulaki ai mo Keala Heta ko ha tokotaha mei Hauaiʻi. Naʻá na mali ʻi he Temipale Mesa Arizona ʻi he 1984. ʻOku maʻu ʻe he ongomātuʻa Sikahemá ha fānau ʻe toko fā.

Kimuʻa pea hoko ʻa ʻEletā Sikahema ko ha Taki Māʻolungá, naʻá ne hoko ko ha palesiteni ʻo e Kau Talavou ʻi he uōtí, pīsope, talēkita fakavahefonua ʻo e ngāue ki he fetuʻutaki mo e kakaí (public affairs), tokoni ʻi he kau palesitenisī fakamisioná, palesiteni fakasiteiki mo ha Fitungofulu Fakaʻēlia.