| Sports |
Athletics meet attracts more than 300
to Lae
By WENDY KATUSELE
THE national track and
field championships to be staged in Lae this weekend is set to
lure more than 300 athletes from 12 centres around the country
as well as PNG athletes based in Australia and New Zealand.
The event is predicted to one of the biggest event with two more
centres expected to submit their athletes’ names before the
start of the championships.
The three day tournament starts on Friday and ends on Sunday has
attracted athletes from Port Moresby, Goroka, Lae, Rabaul,
Bulolo, Chimbu, Kimbe, Kavieng, Wewak, Ukarumpa, Madang and
Wewak.
A flare of top performances are expected from Papua New Guinea’s
elite athletes who are vying for spots in the final team to the
Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa.
The weekend will also see overseas based athletes including New
Zealand-based Salome Dell and Brisbane-based Mowen Boino, Mae
Koime and Ann Mooney will be out at the Sir Ignatius Kilage
Stadium with their squad members already in the country after
training stints in Australia.
They all arrived today together with four other athletes who
have just completed a month’s training in Brisbane.
The four other athletes are Raphaela Baki, Sharon Henry, Delilah
Kami and Henry Ben.
They all head straight to Lae the same day while Boino travels
to Lae on Friday.
Papua New Guinea Athletics Union’s president Tony Green
confirmed that a fully electronic timing system will be in lace
thanks to the Oceania Athletics Association with executive
director Yvonne Mullins and husband Barry to operate the
equipment.
Green said close finishes are expected in all the mens sprinting
events with a few womens races to go under the system and this
would be extremely valuable.
“Not only can we give our athletes accurate times for their
efforts but the photo finish equipment will enable us eliminate
the possibility of human error in determining placings,” Green
said
PNGAU secretary Philip Rheder said the championships will again
see the support of number of sponsors including Nestle PNG, PNG
Forests Products, NCS, Orica PNG, Protect Security, and
Johnstons Pharmacy.
Rheder said discussions with other potential sponsors were
underway.
Meanwhile following the championships a four day camp will be
conducted for the national squad members under coaches Lloyd
Way, Naomi Polum, John Baining and Peter Badirega.
 
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