Athletics PNG has announced a big contingent to the Oceania Championships after a successful National Championships recently in Kokopo.
The Wisils are expected to run in men’s 100 metres senior Heats and women’s 100 metres senior Heats.
Strong performances will be coming from the US-based athletes who also made the cut.
The recent Annual Athletics National Championships staged in Kokopo recently was an important event for PNG Athletics.
A team of more than 20 athletes were selected to travel to Rarotonga, Cook Islands next week to participate in the biannual Oceania Championships.
A mixture of elite athletes and squad members were part of the team to be groomed for next year’s Pacific Games.
Two athletes have been selected for the throws with National Record holder in the mens discuss De’Bono Paraka, aiming to improve on his recent 48 metre throw in Port Moresby as well as Lily Poroli .
Robin Yinambe and Cletus Mosi will contest the mens eight event Octathlon, whereas Eunice Steven and Adrine Monagi will contest the womens heptathlon.
Helen Philemon, Rellie Kaputin, Penniel Richard and Patrick Hou are in for the jumping events.
The Team also includes a very strong contingent of hurdlers with Mowen Boino, Wala Gime, Sharon Kwarula, and Donna Koniel, all using the event to gage their preparations for the Commonwealth Games.
There are also two under 20 hurdlers in the team with Penniel Joshua from Namatani and Raylyn Kanam from Kavieng.
Kanam has been recruited into the team for the 4 by 400m relay as a last minute replacement for US based Betty Burua who is still recovering from injury after blitzing 60.38 seconds and ran second to Donna Koniel in the 400m.
Nelson Stone is coming into good form at the right time and will need to be at the top of his game to hold off the two in form youngsters Theo Piniau and Kaminel Matlaun in the 400m.
Stone ran 47.47 secs in Brisbane last weekend as well as a season’s best 10.61 in the 100m.
Athletics PNG President, Tony Green, said that the mens 4 by 400m relay is looking stronger now than at any time since the 1991 Games, where the quartet of Takale Tuna ,Subul Babo , Baobo Neuendorf and Kaminiel Selot set a time of 3min 09.55 seconds, which still stands as the national record.
Coaches to the Oceania Championships will be POM Athletics coach Naomi Polum, and Sandy Katusele , with Sophia Marai as Team Manager.
Port Moresby based throws coach Paul Bannister will also be at the Championships, supporting his son Jack, who is representing Australia in the U20 division.
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