Arafura prep begins

PNG Sports Foundation chief executive officer Iamo Launa will outline the criteria for the country’s participants at next year’s  Arafura Games during the launching in Port Moresby today.
“The purpose of the launching will be  to gauge views from sports who are interested in sending teams to the Arafura Games,” Launa said.
Launa said there were strict criteria to follow which was decided at the head of delegation meeting on April 12 in Darwin, Australia.
PNG will compete in 16 sports out of the 23 on offer but it depends on each sport’s national federation submitting an expresion of interest to the foundation.
PNG has nominated for athletics, basketball, boxing, cricket, soccer, golf, hockey, skeet shooting, shooting IPSC, shooting ISSF, squash, swimming, table tennis, triathlon, volleyball and weightlifting.
As head of sports in the country, Launa encouraged national sports federation to utilise the opportunity at Arafura Games which  would provide a pathway to inproving standards .
The pre-registration deadline for  sports is tomorrow to help the Arafura planning committee liase with Australian immigration to assist with visa applications.
Registration for all sports will open on Nov 7, six months before the Games  start.
PNG-Arafura planning committee chairman Thomas Kahai, who is also the event manager with PNG Sports Foundation, will oversee all preparations for the Games.
Kahai urged all the sports who were interested in attending the Games to attend the official opening this afternoon at PNGSF training room at the Indoor Sports Complex.
He encouraged teams to take the Games seriously in order to make the most of the opportunity.
“We’ve made mistakes at past games but those sports and individuals thinking of going just for the ride or  for fun should think again as we are serious about this event and its value,” he stressed.