Athletics community mourns passing of Marai

THE Papua New Guinea athletics community is in mourning for Sophia Marai who passed away at the age of 55 at her home in Port Moresby on Feb 23 after a long illness.
From Tarawai Island in East Sepik, she was a dedicated member of the PNG athletics community for more than three decades.
As a young educator starting her long and distinguished teaching career at Kokopo High School in 1988, her interest in athletics also found a place in her heart.
With Bob Snow, the late Sailas Tita, Lazarus Bureng and Rex Novulu, she started coaching young athletes and running weekend competitions. Athletes such as 1991 South Pacific Games 100m champion Ezekiel Wartovo, as well as Elizabeth Kamilus and Rosa Maria were able to compete regularly and advance their running careers because of committed volunteers like Marai.
She participated at her first Pacific Games in 1991 as Kamilus’ coach where she met Naomi Polum.
It was then that the pair would form a life-long friendship, and partnership in teaching and proceed to be the mainstay of Port Moresby Athletics Association until 2017 when Marai’s ill health prevented her from continuing.
She served as an executive member of Athletics PNG (APNG) from 2000 to 2017.
Her professionalism and extensive knowledge of mentoring young adults was a valuable contribution to the board.
She served as an athletics team official at five of the six Pacific Games between 1995 and 2015 plus many other international events, including Mini Pacific Games and Oceania Championships.
“She will be dearly missed by her athletics family in PNG and abroad,” APNG president Tony Green said in a statement.