Long-time Athletics Coach Naomi Polum is the winner of the inaugural Oceania Athletic Association Women’s Award for her tremendous 50-year contribution to the sport.
The decision was announced during the Oceania Athletic Association’s congress meeting on the Gold Coast last weekend.
Athletics PNG President Tony Green received the award Polum’s behalf. Polum will join five other winners of the Continental Area awards to attend the final in August.
The winner of the IAAF Women in Athletics Award will be announced in August this year during the IAAF Congress in Beijing.
“I was very proud to accept the Award on behalf of Naomi” said Green. “This is a thoroughly well-deserved award which Naomi won against strong competition from Australia and the Pacific islands. Naomi will be invited to attend the Congress in Beijing in August and we wish her every success as her name now goes forward to the panel of judges who will determine the World Winner.”
The IAAF Congress will see the election of a new president and council for the next four years. Up for presidency is Lord Sebastian Coe and Ukraine’s Sergey Bubka, the former world record holder in the pole vault.
Coe, while attending the Oceania Congress last weekend, promised to make time for a visit to PNG next year. His expected visit for the Pacific Games unfortunately clashed with the IAAF World Youth Championships in Columbia.
At the Gold Coast last weekend, the Oceania Congress reelected Norfolk Island’s Geoff Gardner as president.
Micronesia’s three candidates were elected to council and all three Melanesian nominees, including Albert Miller and Tony Green were unsuccessful.
It was also confirmed that the Melanesian Championships would be reintroduced next year, with Fiji hosting the event in July.
