91-man team named for C’wealth Games

THE Papua New Guinea Commonwealth Games Association (PNG CGA) finalised a squad of 91 athletes and officials for Team PNG to the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia next month.
The team comprises 58 athletes and 33 officials including the general management team. They will participate in 10 of the 23 sports offered at the Games which will run from April 4-15.
The 10 sports are: athletics, boxing, lawn bowls, sevens, shooting, squash, swimming, table tennis, triathlon and weightlifting.
The team will feature gold medallists from the last Commonwealth Games (Glasgow 2014), weightlifters, Steven Kari and Dika Toua along with Olympic number six, Morea Baru.
Triathlete Rachael Sapery James will be the lone competitor for PNG in her sport and was among the first to qualify for the Games on merit.
Shooters Daniel Wanma and Angus Donald also qualified with Olympic standard qualifying competition scores.
The PNG CGA released the names following an exhaustive process of selection and justification hearings, to ensure that athletes had met the qualifying marks set by their individual sporting federations or were regarded as the best in the country, for their particular event.
Team PNG chef de mission Tamzin Wardley thanked the executive board for their decision saying it was a difficult process compared to previous Commonwealth Games, as the Commonwealth Games Federation for the first time enforced quotas on individual athlete places, so athletes were competing against each other for final spots.
With the Gold Coast so close to PNG, Wardley was confident that the team would feel at home when they move in to the athletes’ village in later this month.
Team PNG returned with two gold medals from the last Commonwealth Games and while there was an air of confidence in the team Wardley said they would not be putting undue pressure on athletes with their expectations.
“At their best, PNG athletes are just as good as any other athletes in the world and their performance on the day depends on their preparations leading up to it,” Wardley said.
“They’ll be giving their very best and we’ll be there to give them all the support they need to perform,” she said.
Wardley also invited the public to buy a Trukai Fun Run t-shirt as the funds raised from that goes towards sending Team PNG to the Commonwealth Games.
The public is encouraged to support Team PNG by following and sharing their updates on social media at #teampng2018.
Team PNG: General team management – Tamzin Wardley (chef de mission), Stephen Damien (general manager), Andrew Lepani (deputy general manager), Asiani Vagi (admin officer), Christopher Amini (operations), Dr Kapua Kapua (chief medical officer), Matthew Natusch, Michelle Fae (physio), Sharon Arua (masseur), Vanessa Kerton, Andrew Molen (photographer/press attaché); Athletics (men) Mowen Boino, Ephraim Lerkin, Wesley Logorava, Nazmie-Lee Marai, De’bono Paraka, Theo Piniau, Peniel Richard, Samuel Nason, (women) Afure Adah, Rellie Kaputin, Adrine Monagi, Philip Newton (head coach), Wilson Malana (coach), Nola Peni (manager); Boxing (men) Charles Keama, Thadius Katua, John Ume, (women) Laizani Soma, Joe Aufa (head coach), Mark Keto (assistant coach), Gideon Kendino (manager); Lawn bowls (men) Gabriel Tika, Polin Pomaleu, Matu Bazo, Manu Walo, Freddy Koesan, (women) Loa Babona, Rebecca Walo, Ju Carlo, Catherine Wimp, Piwen Karkar, Andy Agowaua (manager), Kamu Walo (coach); Rugby 7s – Wesley Vali, Arthur Clement, Henry Kalua, Emanuel Guise, Patrick Tatut, William Tirang, Gairo Kapana, Freddie Rova, Himah Alu, Eugene Tokavai, Dean Manale, Samuel Malambes, Nathan Baramun, Douglas Guise (coach), Damaris Minikula (team manager), Hendriella Vilosi (physio); Shooting (men) Daniel Wanma, Angus Donald, (women) Tania Mairi, Peter Leahy (coach), Betty Wanma (manager); Squash (men) Suari Madako Junior, (women) Lynette Vai, Konio Vai (manager), Marc Forster (coach); Swimming (men) Leonard Kalate, Ryan Maskelyne, Ashley Seeto, Samuel Seghers, Josh Tarere, Robert van der Zant (coach), Sarenah Pini (manager); Table tennis (men) Geoffrey Loi, (women) Vero Nime, Rea Loi (coach), Annie Loi (manager), Triathlon – Rachel Sapery James, Tobby Coote (coach); Weightlifting (men) Toua Udia, Morea Baru, Steven Kari, (women) Thelma Toua, Dika Toua, Lorraine Harry, Willie Tamasi (manager), Jeffrey Robby (coach).