by Raphaella Kaore – EM TV, Port Moresby
Papua New Guinea won four gold medals in the Oceania Cross Country Championships in Guam.
It was all glitz and glamour in PNG traditional colour as we caught up with our PNG team at the airport.
Fourteen-year-old rising star Abel Siune was a thriller, competing against athletes aged 16 and 17.
The team, under the guidance of Philip Kamane and Miriam Goiya, brought something back for their country.
They were indulged in their spoils while embracing the moments spent on the race.
Former national track star Miriam Goiya said she was very happy with each athlete and their performances, especially their medals.
Young Mary Kua showed signs of maturity when she ran in the open women’s 8km race and finished fourth, with a time of 35 minutes, behind athletes from Australia, New Zealand and Tahiti.
She was ecstatic with the whole experience, it being her first ever championship. Winning gold was a huge achievement.
Onga Awa was pooled into a star-studded circle along with Abel Siune to finish in overall third and fourth places respectively in the U18 events, which were combined with the Asia Pacific Invitational race.
Simbai Kaspar and Kupsy gave a strong show in the open men’s 12km race.
Kaspar edged out Bisamo by a margin of two seconds for the bronze medal, with a time of 42 minutes 56 seconds.
Kaspar now has his sights set on competing in the 10km cross-border run in Vanimo, Sandaun Province. Jenny Albert was undeniable, blitzing 25 minutes 16 seconds to win gold in the junior women’s 6km.
The Simbu-born and bred athletes are now ready to represent Simbu Province in the PNG Games.
