Katua headlines PNG sports in 2016

EXCITING talent Thadius Katua’s performance at the Rio Olympics in Brazil headlined Papua New Guinea boxing in 2016.
The Caterets Islander’s controversial loss to his more experienced Russian opponent in their 60kg preliminary bout at the Olympic Games was reminiscent of another story that followed a similar pattern 38 years ago.
Another Papua New Guinean, Tumat Sogolik, lost his bout to Northern Ireland’s Barry McGuigan at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada, under controversial circumstances — settling for silver when the gold, according to many who watched the fight, thought should have been his.
The New Hanover man’s story was brought to light once again when the now-older Sogolik was inducted into the PNG Sports Hall of Fame in November this year.
Even Queen Elizabeth II is said to have accorded him a red carpet treatment after the historic bout in Canada — an unofficial acknowledgement that the head of the Commonwealth had been impressed with the courageous effort from the boxer.
Video footage of the bout had the commentators awarding the fight to Sogolik, calling the result to be PNG’s first gold medal — which was not to be.
Even after all those years, Sogolik was still gracious in defeat, humbly resolute in his acceptance of the controversial result.
“He won the gold medal but I got the Queen’s acknowledgement,” Sogolik spoke of the undocumented events that followed that controversial bout.
Sogolik returned to his lodging for the night and was surprised to see the red carpet laid out leading all the way to his room.
“The Queen came into my room and as I was standing up to meet her I was ordered to kneel and she laid the sword on my shoulders,” Sogolik said — most probably unaware that it was a sign that is usually accorded to knights who were courageous in battle.
This August, 19-year-old Katua received the majority of the crowd’s acknowledgment that he had won his bout which would have advanced him to the next stage of the competition for the Bougainvillean, who was among the youngest at the Olympics.
To vie for an Olympic spot, Katua as a gold medallist from the 2015 Pacific Games boxing team, had to join three other PNG elite boxers who were involved in the tough qualification process.
Charles Keama (52kg) and Jonathan Keama (75kg) — also gold medallists, helped PNG record its best performance at any Pacific Games, with their eight gold medal haul from the 13 on offer and bronze medallist Andrew Aisaga, were unsuccessful in the attempt at the Oceania Asian Olympic qualifiers in Qian’an, China in April. However, Katua ended up being chosen to make his Olympic debut on tripartite consideration in Rio as a member of the small PNG team, which included swimming, judo, weightlifting and taekwondo.
“We have set some very high standards for our sport for the next few years,” PNG Boxing Union president John Avira said.
“Boxing has great potential to achieve some exciting results in the next four years and with our partners the PNG Olympic Committee and the PNG Sports Foundation, we can achieve these objectives.”