The PNG Weightlifting Federation’s (PNGWF) under-23 team comprising of young men and women competed in the Oceania Youth, Junior & under 23 Championship in Samoa early this month.
PNGWF’s Under 23 (U23) female 50 category weightlifter, Idau Vagi, 17, was among the team who proudly represented PNG to compete against athletes from Nauru, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Fiji, and Samoa.
Idau said that she was grateful for the support that she had received throughout the team’s preparations for the tournament.
“The training that we had received and the support that we had from families and the coaching team has prepared us for this tournament,” said Vagi.
PNGWF’s U23 female 40 category athlete, Ani Gavera, 13, described the opportunity as a memorable experience for the team and herself.
“It is always a big step for us to compete overseas, but we find comfort in knowing that PNG wins gold in weightlifting.
“Winning Gold would be the main goal, but I would also like to continue competing on the world stage in the future,” said Gavera.
Both Idau and Ani competed against athletes from Nauru and Marshal Island in the women’s 40-55kg weight category.
PNG Weightlifting Federation’s (PNGWF) Under 23 Team Manager, Emily Lou, commended the young athletes’ dedication to the sporting code.
“Being young as they are, they’ve shown their commitment to their training and have sacrificed their time to prepare for the games.
“I would like to thank Trukai Industries for its commitment to PNGWF in nurturing future PNG weightlifters,” said Lou.
Trukai renewed its sponsorship to the PNGWF this year committing a total of K50,000 as support towards the federation’s activities and programs.
Trukai Industries Marketing Manager, Maryanne Tom, said that the company will continue to support the sporting code in the country.
“Trukai has been the official sponsor of the PNGWF for 22 years and it is great to see young athletes following in the footsteps of athletes such as Dika Toua, Steven Kari, and Morea Baru, who have won medals in various global sporting events.
“We will continue to promote a healthy and active lifestyle in the younger generations, which is why we continue to support sporting federations such as the PNGWF and foster a new generation of PNG athletes,” said Tom.
