Colourful ceremony for medal winners

Normal, Sports

A COLOURFUL ceremony was hosted at the Taurama Barracks Primary School to celebrate the medals won by powerlifters and weightlifters from Team Eastern Highlands yesterday.
Officials organised the event to welcome and receive the gold, silver and bronze medals won by their athletics at the 4th PNG Games over the weekend.
The camp was packed to capacity with the rest of the 500-plus contingent, the Eastern Highlands community in Port Moresby and families at the barracks and Goroka MP Thompson Haroqukve.
There was also entertainment provided by the famous Asaro mudmen performing the ritual dances supported by the traditional dancers and the Mount Sion Blind students’ band live performance.
The heros led by gold medalist Fr Bogdan Cofalit, Rechia Bais, Magaret Benny, Junneth Mos and Toksy Amefa walked into the camp with 16 medals – four gold, eight silver and four bronze.
Fr Bogdan, Benny, Bais and Amefa contributed the four gold to the games tally while Hegga Amefa, Yayo Maliabi,  Parama Awefa, Misa Amefa, Dickson Richard collected silver while Ato Awefa, Faive Mos, Noah Cletus and Piniye Malaibi bagged bronze.
Flower lasses were put around the necks of the medalists and cheered around the school grounds for the achievements.
To make the celebration wonderful Port Moresby businessman Geno Aino awarded the gold medalists with a K 150 cash each for their achievements.
Aino, the managing director of Oxford Stationary promised to pay monies to athletes that win gold.
Fr Bogdan said the powerlifters and weightlifters had the determination and that paid off with 16 of them collecting medals.