13-year-old steals show

The National Sports

By PATRICIA KEAMO
PRIOR to the PNG Air National Athletics Championships, Chimbu’s top distance runner Jemima Mondo and East New Britain’s Monica Kalua were favoured to win the 5,000m women’s final but both were upstaged by 13-year-old Christina Moiyang from Kundiawa-Gembogl who won the gold.
Moiyang was the talk of the day on Friday when she clocked in 19 min 39.7 sec to finish ahead of favourites Kalua, Mary Tenge and Mondo.
When asked if she was nervous standing on the track among the older more experienced competitors, the young lass shook her head and matter-of-factly said: “No, I knew I was going to beat them.”
Moiyang also won the Under-18 women’s 1,500m final on Saturday earning another gold medal for her Kundiawa-Gembogl athletics team.
Moiyang, like the majority of her teammates, was making her debut at a national meet.
Coach Paul Komba said he was extremely pleased with Moiyang’s performance given that it was her first time and she had never ran on a synthetic track before.
“We don’t have a 400m or a 200m track, we only have 100m to 150m track for running and coming here to the stadium (Sir John Guise) and running on the 400m synthetic track was something new for us,” he said.
“She ran the best time and took off from the rest of the runners.”
Moiyang competed against national runners in the 5,000m and 10,000m but her natural ability shone through allowing her to finish ahead of other more experienced competitors.
Komba said he was not only amazed at Moiyang’s ability to run long distances but the fact that she had no experience, ran bare foot in very hot and humid conditions different to the conditions she was used to in her home province, boded well for her future as she developed and reached her peak.
“That’s a prize for Simbu and the people of PNG and I know she will perform better and advance to the Pacific Games and perhaps even the Olympic Games.”
Moiyang was part of the 20-member team from Kundiawa-Gembogl that represented Chimbu at the championships.
Her teammates Maria Jack and Cathy Michael won the silver and bronze medals respectively in the Under-16 girls 400m final.
In the open men’s 10,000m Dilu Goiye claimed the bronze medal and Bala Nicholas won the bronze in the open women’s 1,500m.
Komba said although the team did not have a proper track in Chimbu to train on he was proud that they had returned 10 medals including five gold, three silver and two bronze.

16 comments

  • Great news for Simbu people and the PNG as a whole,another new and upcoming Toea Wisil is showing her potential to PNG Sport Foundation that she can do it at Olympic Games..

  • We will follow her progress as we look forward to the next mini and full Pacific Games in a couple of years time. Such performances bodes well for the country.

  • SIPUUUU….The best always start simple, thus thumbs up to the coach [Paul Komba], other stakeholders behind the scene and not forgetting the athletes… Keep the fire burning by preparing for the next event…. WAKAI WEH

  • WE HAVE RAW TALENTS IN RURAL AREAS AND WE NEED TO GET SPORTS AND ATHELETICS TO THE DOOR STEPS OF THESE REMOTE PLACES AND YOU WOULD BE SURPRISED TO HARVEST SOME OF THE BEST IN ALL FORMS OF SPORTS.

  • Ladies and gentlemen, a national treasure has just been discovered. Thanks National, keep us posted on her progress.

  • Simbu Provincial Government and the business houses plus individuals should be proud and sponsor those Simbu athletes to the next level. It’s our pride for the Province and for our Nation.

  • There are more raw and talented athletes in the rural areas of PNG.. I hope you will find more when you go rural… thumbs up for the youngest girl to win against those experience players… Future athlete do PNG…

  • Simbu Province is the Kenya and Ethiopia of PNG. The people are naturally made and built for athletics. Leaving on high altitude, and walking km to school, at times climbing and descending steep hills and mountains, they are naturally made for such competitions. No wonder they racked up medals, because their ordinary and daily walk to school is already a training for them. I appeal to the Simbu Provincial government to build a track around Dickson’s oval. Or they could build a provincial athletics ground with proper facilities at places like Kondiu or Kerowagi Secondary Schools. The space is big enough and can still accommodate a track for athletics. And students and young people interested in athletics can train easily and continue to make Simbu proud. Congratulations to the Simbu youngsters. Waking we.

  • Congratulation team Simbu, huge congratulation to coach Paul Komba and a special and mass congratulation to up coming Olympic runner Moiyang. Moiyang’s performance really depicts her natural ability and revealing her future stories. As a debutant, she performed extremely good and beat even the much experienced athletes which she sounds promising. I think we have many Moiyang in many remotest parts of Simbu so couch Paul you need to work around the clock and get them out.

  • Well done young lass! Someone please sponsor her to further her career in athletics and education. It looks like she’ll be winning more medals for PNG in the future.

  • Congratulations team Simbu….we are less with natural resources we have natural ability to carry on to show other Province and Country that we can use natural ability’s to make our province (Simbu… ) proud . Congratulation to those who take part in Games, Please keep the sprit of sport to bring you some where to make SIMBUS Proud & Happy……..Wake we de ya……

  • Congratulations to Kundiawa Gembogl Athletics Team representing Simbu Province!!

    Exemplary Outcomes for a small team!!!

    Thank you Kundiawa Gembogl DDA under the chairmanship of Hon. William G. Onglo MP, Member for Kundiawa Gembogl for sponsoring the team.

  • Well done team Simbu. I know that it not Team Simbu but Kundiawa Kembogl District and their Hon. Member supported them through which they won 10 Medals. The Member for Kundiawa Gembogl, you have made a difference and these little known Ambais and Angra names to enter into the record books of APNG. Congratulation to Team and their undivided coach Paul Komba to bring these young stars out and expose them for opportunity and now the opportunity will fly them to other countries.

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