By THADDEUS TIRIMAN
SOUTH Pacific Games gold medallist Francis Oaike has appealed to the public and for sponsorship in his aim to represent Papua New Guinea in an invitational meet in Brisbane in lead up to the Olympic qualifiers in Brisbane to be scheduled for April.                                                                               Success at which could mean him representing PNG in the Olympic Games in Beijing.
The sponsorship, preferably funds will go towards paying for his levies, visa, entry fee, and other necessary expenses. Francis is part of a five member team that is to travel to Brisbane for an invitational meet this month. All of them are unemployed youths.
PNG Team manager Nick Calibud confirmed this yesterday in relation to the boxer’s appeal for sponsorship and said he sees great potential in the lad and wants to expose him and the other boxers in the international arena.
The 20-year-old who fights in the 51kg flyweight division has had a good record as a representative player in winning Gold medals in the Arafura Games and the South Pacific Games and a Silver Medal in the Oceania Boxing Championship in Apia, Samoa. All his feats were done last year.
According to Calibud, Oaike is a potential candidate to represent PNG at the Olympic qualifiers and has faith in the young man doing it. He said Francis at his age is a good example for our children and youths in avoiding vices and pursuing their dreams.
The youth from Aipeana village in the Bereina district was a notable pick in 2004 in the Bereina Boxing tournament where he was selected to represent Team Central at the PNG Boxing Championship in Arawa where he won gold. Ever since then it has been all success for Francis in PNG and Oceania Tournaments. His success at the Arafura Games, the Oceania Boxing Championships and the South Pacific Games shows the locally-bred talent has got a great future in boxing ahead of him if only he gets the right support.