Kiwi lifter sent home

 By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK

A NEW Zealand athlete for the Pacific Games has been sent home for making “racist comments” on social media about Papua New Guinea being the home of cannibals, according to Sports Minister Justin Tkatchenko. 

“He left yesterday afternoon (Sunday) for New Zealand.  It was their (NZ team) decision to send him home as they have got nothing to do with that after social media got hold off his Facebook comments about PNG being a country of cannibals,” he said.

Tkatchenko said the New Zealand High Commissioner had called him on Sunday morning to express concern over the athlete’s comment on Facebook.

“And later in the afternoon, the New Zealand team chef de mission took action, reprimanded and removed him from the team and sent him home,” he said.

“The problem is that it is only one individual’s comment. 

“Unfortunately that comment went beyond anybody’s control.

“But the most important thing is that every body understands that we are one nation, one country and one Pacific.”

He doubts that an individual’s comment will affect PNG’s relationship with New Zealand.

New Zealand Olympic Committee spokesperson Ashley Abbott told The National from New Zealand that the athlete “has withdrawn on his own accord and left Port Moresby”.

“He is now back in New Zealand,” she said.

Abbott said the athlete’s comments did not represent the views of the New Zealand  team or that of the wider New Zealand community in PNG. 

The NZ Olympic Committee has apologised to the people and the Government of PNG for the comment.

It is understood that the athlete had posted on Saturday on his social media page from Sir John Guise Stadium before the opening ceremony a photo of himself with Huli dancers. 

The comment he posted was along the lines “getting ready for the opening ceremony with the cannibals”.