Paraka sets new national hammer throw record

DEBONO Paraka, pictured, added the hammer throw to his collection of national records recently in Port Moresby.
The 26-year-old, who already holds the shot put and discus records added over three-metres to the record of 34.62m set by Vipi Sejuk at the 1993 Pacific Mini Games in Vanuatu.
The new mark of 37.95m was achieved on his third and final throw and was witnessed by a small group of athletes and officials including Athletics PNG president Tony Green.
The hammer throw is an event rarely conducted in Papua New Guinea and for safety reasons competitions are usually conducted in isolation from main track and field competitions.
“Debono hardly broke sweat and clearly has the potential to throw much further with the benefit of some coaching and good competition,” Green said of the Western Highlander, whose brother Pettowa and sister Shanice are elite athletes in rugby union and swimming.
This brings to 10 the total of new national records set in 2016, with four in the mens events and six in the women’s events.
New national records were set this year in the 100m and 200m by Toea Wisil; in the long and triple jumps by Rellie Kaputin; in the hammer throw by Jacklyn Travertz and in the heptathlon by Adrine Monagi.
On the men’s side Theo Piniau set a new mark in the 200m; Peniel Richard in the triple jump and Paraka in the discus and hammer throws.