NSI team preparing for PNG Air National Athletics championship

By PATRICIA KEAMO
ATHLETES under the National Sports Institute’s athletics development programme have begun preparations for the upcoming PNG Air National Athletics Championship in Kimbe, West New Britain.
Head coach Samu Sasama will be taking a small team to the three-day event at Sasi Muthuvel Stadium from Dec 3-5.
The team, comprising two sprinters and a middle distance runner, will be joined by sprint queen Toea Wisil following her three-month break.
“We have three athletes under the programme after Alphonse Igish and Jonathan Dende left for the United States,” institute director Janet Gimots told The National yesterday.
“Wisil is joining the team for the national championships.
“The athletes in the team are Paias Wisil, Jobby Kinzu and Sane Joseph.
“Paias and Jobby are sprinters while Sane is a middle distance runner.”
With less than three weeks of preparation for the championships, Sasama is tasked with pushing the athletes to improve their times.
The championships will also be a selection event for the national team ahead of next year’s Pacific Mini Games in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands.
Wisil had previously indicated that she was hoping to make another appearance in the regional event, however, she was yet to make an official announcement on her plans.
While athletes from other centres are also preparing for the championships, Athletics Papua New Guinea (APNG) is yet to give an update on the upcoming event.
Attempts to get an APNG comment on competitions and training for national athletes have been unsuccessful.