Lifters register with Oceania federation

PAPUA New Guinea’s weightlifting prospects over the weekend gathered at Hanuabada village for the annual email tournament which saw lifters registering and submitting live records of performances via email.
The tournament, which is sponsored by the Oceania Weightlifting Federation (OWF), saw youngsters gather in the backyard gym of former national coach Douglas Mea at Taora for an early morning weigh-in ahead of competition.
“The OWF has given all its affiliated member countries in the region from Feb 27-29, to register their lifters into their respective weight classes, then instantly submit records of performances by male and female lifters via email to the Oceania Headquarters in Noumea, New Caledonia,” OWF boss Paul Coffa said.
PNG Weightlifting Federation president Sir John Dawanincura said from Canberra that, based on numbers alone, PNG has fared well in the past, with Douglas Mea’s Taora Weightlifting Club and the Loa Dika Toua Club both winning the title in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
Sir John, who is overseeing PNG’s elite lifters, said: “PNGWLF executives have hopes of capitalising on the hype and momentum built by senior elite athletes Dika Toua, Steven Kari, and Morea Baru, to bolster depth in their ranks through junior development.”
Like all other sports, the Achilles heel for weightlifting is retention of new blood.
It is keeping youngsters interested and nurtured accordingly, in order for the sport to maintain a sustainable, long-term pathway as a leading medal winner for Papua New Guinea on the international stage.