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Sports |
All ready to take off to Apia
today
THE bulk of Team PNG will leave
today for the 13th South Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa on a
chartered Air Niugini aircraft. The regional Olympic events will
start on PNG will participate in 24 of the 33 sports from Aug 25
to Sept 8.
Yesterday, on the eve of the teamís departure, the PNG Sports
Federation & National Olympic Committee paid a special tribute
to the generosity of both the Government and the corporate
sector in ensuring a strong 373-member contingent proudly flies
the Bird of Paradise in Samoa for the next two weeks.
Without the assistance and support of the Government and all the
good corporate citizens, PNG would not have sent such a large
team to the games, senior vice- president of PNG Sports
Federation & Olympic Committee Mel Donald said.
“There was overwhelming support from the Government through the
Mineral Resource Development Company (MRDC) under PNG Sports
Foundation, Trukai, Telikom, Air Niugini, SP Brewery, Ok Tedi
Mining Limited, Steamships Hardware, Boroko Motors, IBS, Oil
Search, Theodist, Moore Printing, Coral Sea Hotels, Consort
Express Lines, Steel Industries, Abel Computing, PANGTEL and
Carbine Club.
“We are very grateful for their support in helping us to get our
team to Samoa,” Donald said, adding that it was one of the
biggest teams to leave PNG since 1991.
The charter - with 225 athletes and officials from archery, lawn
bowls, swimming, sailing, surfing, squash, volleyball,
weightlifting, softball, canoeing, soccer, cricket, touch rugby
and basketball - departs at 4.30pm today and arrives in Apia at
1 oíclock on Friday morning (Samoa time). Samoa is one day
behind and three hours ahead of PNG.
Five sports – beach volleyball, basketball, hockey, netball and
body building - left earlier on commercial flights.
The rugby sevens teams left this morning on a commercial flight
to Brisbane then Sydney. They arrive in Apia just after the main
contingent touches down at the Faleolo Airport.
The athletics team which this week topped the Oceania Grand Prix
in Cairns, will travel to Apia from Brisbane.
The second charter – which departs on Sept 2 - will carry three
members of the athletics team, 11 boxers and officials and 22
powerlifters and officials.
PNG will compete in 13 sports in the first week and four in the
second week. Seven sports will compete for the duration of the
games.
 
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