Athletes learn lessons

SIX junior sprinters, all from different provinces of PNG are coming to the end of a month long training camp at the National Sports Institute in Goroka.
The athletes were selected by Athletics PNG based on their performances in regional and national championships last year with a view to grooming for future national representation.
They were joined in the Camp by three athletes who are already established members of the National Team (Peniel Joshua, Ephraim Lerkin and KaminielMatlaun) as well as two coaches from West New Britain (Wilson Malana and Richard Latiti).
The Camp has included some testing, various forms of training , and a lot of educational aspects.
Here is what some of the participants in the camp had to say about their time in Goroka:
Damien Kotou (Manus): “The camp taught me to be more self reliant, to wake up early in the morning and to do things on time  so I want to say to be in this camp is very important because you will forget all the outside influence and you will concentrate on what you are doing or learning.
“The camp also  helped me to know the skills of running.
“I have learned so many things in this camp, especially eating the right food, to be healthy, time management (being on time), to make friends, learned running and training skills, how to run the 100m  and 200m race. I used to run in my own natural way and now I have changed  my running for the better.”
Leeroy Kamau (ENB): “I have learned many new skills, drills and  this camp helped me to change my running techniques to proper running techniques.
“I learned new sprint drills,how to look after my body, right and wrong food to consume, better running technique, responsibility of an athlete, true sportsmanship, performance of specific skills and specific abilities.
Junior Posai (WNB): “The camp helped me with new things like cooking, training programs and also it helped me change my attitude.
“I have learned many things in the camp; new training styles and also timing is very important to me, I dont go to social media any more because I have to rest for the next day programs also the camp change my life, like to stop chewing betelnut and other habits.
Emmanuel Wanga (Lae):  “First of all, I want to take this time to say thankyou and appreciate this opportunity that Athletics PNG and NSI have given me to attend this camp with other selected ones.
“This camp helped me a lot, in  physical, psychology and spiritual ways.
“I’ll make use of this opportunity to help the upcoming ones from where I come from to impart whati’ve learned.
“I have learned alot from these past three weeks through some testings, various form of training and some education components that I have never experienced before and I believe it surely will have a positive  impact in my athletics career.”
David Guka (POM): “At first when I came to this camp I thought that I was basically coming here to get my  fitness to a much higher level.
“However after the first week I realised that I was not only here to gain my fitness but to grasp the whole concept of being a good athlete in both psychological aspects and physical aspects.
“Basically what I have learned from this camp is that being a good athlete requires one who focusses not only on how hard he or she trains to be at their very best, which probably occurs in most cases, but requires one to fully understand the various requirements that are needed to be an accomplished athlete.
“This camp has given me the opportunity to understand athletics and look into it with a much clearer perspective.
“It has showed me the value of athletics and how it can develop me and help me as an individual to be a better citizen and also help other youngsters who are coming after me.”
APNG secretary Philip Rehder said that the camp was an important one because PNG has always had strength in the mens sprints and efforts must be made to provide development pathways for the best of the young athletes, who show their potential at our annual events such as National and Regional Championships.
“We really wanted to involve a lot more athletes but things have been very difficult for Athletics since the Pacific Games and with so few resources we can only do so much. NSI Director Janet Gimots has always been very supportive of Athletics and we thank her for making this camp possible,” Rehder said.
“The Oceania Championship in Fiji at the end of June has an Under-20 division, which offers a good first time overseas experience for  development squad members.
“We were intending to select the team for Fiji after the PNG Games  but if the Games are deferred again then we will have to largely go with what we have already,” he said.
The camp programme involved  theory sessions, practicals after those sessions where the athletes  studied biomechanics, performed fitness tests, assessments, and participated in research studies with the help of NSI
The coaches received the fundamentals of coaching certificate for their combined experiences and examinations.