by Jeremy Mogi – EM TV, Port Moresby
The Oil Search Pacific Games Relay travelled to the new province of Jiwaka.
The team drove from Hagen, through the Kuli Gap, into Jiwaka province to help the people celebrate their third anniversary as a province. The first stop was the Carpenter tea plantation Kudjip, source of the country’s National No.1 tea.
The baton was run through the tea fields and escorted down the plantation roads by the company workers.
It was then delivered to the new provincial headquarters by the team and elders playing the bamboo pan pipes. The welcome included the raising of the provincial flag, a march by police and a handover to the deputy district administrator, accompanied by the magnificent Jiwaka singsing groups and their colourful costumes and bird of paradise headdresses.
From there, the baton was taken around the twin towns of Minj and Banz, where people gathered on the streets to see and touch the iconic baton. The route included a circuit through the sprawling Wahgi Valley and a climb up to the Dona Top.
The relay passed the home village of athletics star Toea Wisil and her brother Kupun, whose mother came out to meet the team along with the rest of her village to wish for gold for Team Papua New Guinea.
The Oil Search Pacific Games relay heads to Oro province on Tuesday, 19th May.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=wfgQeCuOUoc%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
