PM watches 47 canoes race

 By MALUM NALU

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill may be from the Highlands but took to the beautiful Aroma Coast of Central like an “old salt” to launch the inaugural Prime Minister’s Cup canoe race last Friday.

O’Neill, who was at Maopa for the 127th anniversary of the United Church in the village, also took the time to launch the race named after him.

He made a contribution of K20,000 to the race, with the winner taking home K3,000 and the rest shared among the other 47 canoes, which came from the length and breadth of Aroma Coast from Viriolo to Paramana, with two canoes from Hula in Rigo.

Canoe racing is religion to the seafaring villagers of the Aroma Coast, and as the canoes took to the waters of Keakalo Bay, hundreds of men, women, and children sang and danced to cheer them on.

“Canoe racing here along the Aroma Coast is long established,” race organiser Aputa Enara told The National at Maopa.

“It is the first competitive sport taken up by the people of Aroma Coast, apart from rugby league, soccer, netball, and other sports.

“We should have more canoes taking part today, but due to short notice, we have only 47 canoes participating.”

The beach at Keakalo Bay is famous as the place where one of Papua New Guinea’s best music video clips, Rinunu, by the late Ronnie Galama with a cast of beautiful Maopa women in traditional dress, was shot.