Raminai joins others, calls for post-mortem

PAPUA New Guinea has certainly lost a naturally gifted athlete who was on the path to greater heights in his rugby league career.
Vice-Minister for Sports, National Events and Apec 2018 Wesley Raminai said this yesterday when extending his condolences to the family of the late Kato Ottio, a dual international who early in his sporting career had already achieved several milestones.
Raminai joined many others including some national leaders who have called for an investigation and autopsy of Ottio’s death so that “we can determine the actual cause of death to remove any insinuations that are becoming too common in this country.
“In other countries autopsies are a requirement when a death occurs but it doesn’t seem to be the case in PNG when families can choose whether they want that or not.”
Raminai who studied medicine early in his career before switching to another field said that doctors can state what they believe is the cause of death but until a full autopsy is conducted on the person the exact cause of death can remain inconclusive.
The vice-minister also joined thousands of Papua New Guineans including Sports Minister and Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, who are finding it hard to come to terms with the sudden passing of 23-year-old Kato on Monday.
“It is rare for sportsmen and women who represent our country with distinction and Kato Ottio becomes one of the few who represented Papua New Guinea in more than one sport — volleyball and rugby league,” Raminai said.
“Kato was a member of the 2013 men’s gold medal winning team at the Mini Pacific Games in Wallis and Futuna before switching codes to help the PNG Rugby League 9s team win a gold medal at the 2015 Pacific Games in Port Moresby.
“Then he served our country with pride as a member of the 2017 PNG LNG Kumuls team that took us to the quarter final of the Rugby League World Cup.
“Kato had been contracted to join Super League club Widnes Vikings in England and I am sure he was looking forward to that like we all were.
“The shocking news of his passing has been quite devastating for many of us who are passionate about sports but especially for his family and those close to him.”
Raminai said he knew Ottio personally and admired him for his humbleness, discipline and other characteristics that made him the champion he was. “He was an amazing athlete who had yet to realise his full potential and has proven that with the right attitude and the determination to succeed, other Papua New Guineans can excel in their chosen sport,” Raminai said.
“The late Kato wasn’t only a ideal role model, he was also an inspiration to many young people — he was a shining example that if an athlete seized the opportunity and made the most of it, success on the international scene is not out of reach for Papua New Guineans.
“Sadly we couldn’t witness how far he could go with his natural ability because of his untimely death.”