Duo follow dad’s footstep

By ROBINSON LEKA
OLYMPIAN-in waiting Teariki Numa says he is relishing the opportunity to follow in his father Graham’s footstep at next year’s Games in Tokyo, Japan.
Numa and his sister Rose-Lee, both sailors, are so far the only Papua New Guinean athletes to qualify for the Olympics.
He said during the Olympic Day celebrations in Port Moresby yesterday that these were exciting times for him and his family.
“Being part of this day is special for me, now being a rookie in the Olympics, I can’t wait for the Games,” Numa said.
“It’s a great day to celebrate and what we did today was wonderful because after the (Covid-19) lockdown, a lot of people have been restricted due to gyms being closed and social distancing.
“My preparations have slowed down a little bit since the lockdown so it’s been basic home workouts, and just trying to stay active and stay fit.
“I haven’t been out on the water for months so I’ve been trying to do as much as I could little by little moving forward.
“I’m just speechless, my sister and I have qualified for the Olympics and we’re following in our dad’s footsteps so it means a lot to us.
“Our dad is a two-time Olympian so if we can at least equal his record, that’ll be fantastic.”
Numa qualified for the Olympics in during the Laser Standard Class Championships in February
His sister secured qualification in the women’s one-person dinghy (laser radial) event in March.
Numa’s father competed in the Seoul (1988) and Barcelona (1992) Games.