By Raphaella Kaore – EM TV, Port Moresby
The under-20 handball boys put up a strong fight at the Oceania Handball Championship in Wellington, New Zealand, earlier this month.
Captaining the team on tour was Magiu Vanua and Deron James who led the boys on the court.
The team consisted of 27 boys under the age of 20. Team manager Clarence Palin said the competition was great for the boys, since it was their first-ever international tournament, and it was a good chance to develop their skills and to gain more experience in the sporting code.
He said most of the under-20 boys were from Eight Mile, ATS and Taurama settlements in Port Moresby.
The boys went up against nine other teams in the Oceania region, including Australia and New Zealand.
Papua New Guinea first set foot on the court in a strong encounter against Australia. The boys finished in 6th place, despite this being their first international outing.
Promising talented players were Winias Juninor, Rudiger Mati, Andy Onguglo, Mare Piri and Clinton Mahite.
With a bevy of international competitions expected in the new year, head coach Clarence Palin is hoping to scout more girls to join the sport and be part of representing Papua New Guinea in handball.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=cddm_iNZ15s%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
