PNG Canoeing Association hosts national championships for talent identification

By PATRICIA KEAMO
THE Papua New Guinea Canoeing Association hosted its national sprint championships on Saturday at the PNG Defence Force Lancron Basilisk Naval base to identify talents for the 2022 Pacific Mini Games in the Northern Marianas.
The one-day event saw three clubs competing — Konedobu Kanu Klab, Port Moresby Outrigger Canoeing Club and Kempa Leva Canoeing Club — with junior, men’s and women’s teams.
Association president Pole Kassman told The National that following the event, selectors would pick the squad for representative duties.
“We’ve just been included in the Pacific Mini Games for next year, so we are working on getting our squads in order,” she said.
“It’s a requirement from the PNG Olympic Committee to run championships, so we had the marathon earlier and now the sprints.
“After these championships, the selectors will look at the crews and prepare selection.”
When asked about preparations for the Games, Kassman said coaches would be planning programmes for the teams.
“We have almost six months to prepare with the Games scheduled for July,” she said. “We have a good record, so we are hopeful.
“In 2015, we won gold in the women’s V-12 500m event where we beat world champions Tahiti.”
The president said the canoeing association would pick a junior development squad alongside the seniors.