Athletics looking to improve Team PNG’s standings

TEAM Papua New Guinea will be looking to lift their standings in the medal tally in week two of the Pacific Games.
Sixteen members of the full squad left Cairns, Queensland, last Thursday for Apia and will be joined by the rest of their teammates this week.
While in Cairns, former PNG Kumul Rod Pearce, through his company Zoller Limited gave the team A$3,000 (K7,129) with team manager Philip Rehder thanking Pearce and his family as well as the city’s PNG community for their support.
PNG dominated the track and field events in the 2015 Pacific Games after raking in a total of 62 medals including 23 gold.
The PNG men’s team were particularly strong on the track while the PNG women demonstrated their strengths in both running and jumping events.
Their closest competition in New Caledonia were 30 medals behind. They scored medals across the board, but notably in the throwing sports. Athletics will kick off at the Samoa Pacific Games at 3.30pm (12.30pm PNG time) on today with the first event the men’s decathlon.
The athletics competition in Samoa begins today and the first finals will be the men’s javelin featuring strong medal contender and PNG record holder Lakona Gerega; the men’s steeplechase with Simbai Kaspar and Sapolai Yao; and the women’s 5,000m with Poro Gahekave, Monica Kalua and Mary Tenge seeking to end the dominance of Solomon Islander Sharon Firusia. Athletics has always been a major highlight of the Pacific Games schedule and Apia Park Stadium will host 21 nations competing in 50 events, including para-sports in four events.
Teams from American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Northern Mariana Island, Palau, PNG, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Wallis and Futuna are all entered.
Australian runner Steven Solomon was a finalist in the 400-metres at the London 2012 Games and says this event is an important milestone on his path to a second Olympic berth in Tokyo.
“A strong performance in Samoa will set up my campaign for Olympic qualification,” Solomon said.
“I want to head into 2020 with some fast performances.
“I know that the flag above my heart will inspire me to great speeds in Samoa.”
– gamesnewsservice