Hockey ready for comeback

 THE Papua New Guinea Hockey Federation’s men’s and women’s training squad have been workingout at the National High Performance Training Centre in Port Moresby, since the Pacific Cup in Fiji last year.

 Men’s team manager Michael Potuan said he was grateful to the PNG Olympic Committee because it had improved his players’ conditioning.

Both squads have been training exclusively at the centre.

Potuan said neither side have had any field sessions as there were no available venues in the city at the moment. The sides will travel to the Gold Coast for their first Games lead-up match next week.

They will spend five days with national head coach Brent Livermore.

Potuan said most of the players were in the silver medal-winning team at the Oceania Championships.

He said Livermore was an experienced coach and a former Australian Olympic player and having him on board would benefit the side.

Potuan said he believed the teams were on the right track for a medal and — based on the last regional tournament — the silver medal was a strong possibility.