Brisbane meet starts season for PNG athletes

THERE were mixed results for PNG at the Brisbane Track Classic on Saturday at the QE2 Stadium in Brisbane.
The womens 4x400m team of Toea Wisil, Donna Koniel, Salome Dell and Betty Burua  placed third in a very respectable time of 3:46.94 behind Australia and the Australian Junior team and ahead of three other teams in the race including Fiji.
The men’s 4x400m team comprising John Rivan , Mowen Boino, Kevin Kapmatana and Nelson Stone also ran quite well considering the lack of race practice to finish in 3:17.14 behind Australia, New Zealand and the Australian junior team.  
A lack of practice told in the 4x100m relays however with with both the PNG men’s and women’s team failing to complete their races due to botched baton changes.
PNG athletics officials had stated before the race that they only had moderate expectations of their athletes as they had all been assembled at the last minute and had virtually no time to practise.
In the individual events Stone had a good run in his first race since the Pacific Games last August, just edging out rival and Pacific Games champion Banuve Tabakaucoro in a time of 21.83 to the Fijian’s 21.87.
Wisil clocked 12.14 in the 100m shortly after running the two relay races and Koniel ran 41.52 in the 300m.
PNG Athletics Union president Tony Green reiterated that the main purpose of attending the relays was to assist the Australian teams.
He said the PNGAU had already stated two weeks ago that the Brisbane Classic was an opportunity to give experience to some of the younger PNG athletes and kick start our preparations early for the 2012 season.