1 Jul 2016

Top football coach cancels trip to American Samoa

1:24 pm on 1 July 2016

A top college football coach from the United States has cancelled a football camp in American Samoa due to the Zika virus.

Zika mosquito

Zika mosquito Photo: 123RF

Jim Harbaugh is coach of the University of Michigan and former coach of the San Francisco 49ers where he recruited many Samoan and Pacific players.

Mr Harbaugh was originally scheduled to hold a one day clinic tomorrow.

He was intending to travel with his wife who is pregnant.

Lealao Mel Purcell, who helped organise the camp, explained why the coach and his wife are giving American Samoa a miss.

"Their doctors are telling them not to come this way or they may be affected by the Zika virus. That's the main reason why they are not coming. Precautionary measures make sure that they are not going to be affected while they are here in Samoa."

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