Ready, set, go

 By PETER PUSAL

Sports Editor

PAPUA New Guinea has set itself a target of at least 88 gold medals to win the XV Pacific Games.

PNG Olympic Committee president Sir John Dawanincura made reference to the figure two months ago at an Oceania National Olympic Committees meeting in Suva.

Sir John already predicted that the powerful national weightlifting team could win up to 20 gold medals with stars Dika Toua and Steven Kari expected to bag gold medals because there are Commonwealth Games champions.

Athletics PNG president Tony Green said the team would target 20 gold medals with the majority of those medals to come from the women’s sprint and middle distance events.

Toea Wisil remains the leading women’s sprinter at these Games and is on course to repeat her 2011 Noumea effort where she won the 100m, 200m, 400m and 4x100m gold medals. 

The depth in the women’s track team is impressive with Betty Burua, Sharon Kwarula and Donna Koniel all gold medal contenders as well.

With athletics and weightlifting accounting for half the target at 40 gold medals it will be up to the other sports to provide the balance.

PNG Swimming president Elizabeth Wells would not speculate on the number of gold medals her swimming team was aiming to win.

She said the side was ready to race despite being nervous with anticipation for the competition which starts on Monday.

The national swim team won five gold medals in Noumea, with star Ryan Pini winning all of them. 

The 33-year-old may be in the twilight of his career but will be buoyed by the home support and the fact that he is leading a young team against the region’s best swimmers from New Caledonia, Tahiti and Fiji.

Team PNG swimming would expect to win at the very least the same number of gold medals in the pool.

The national boxing team has come under some criticism of late with questions raised on the preparations of the team but PNG Amateur Boxing Union president John Avira has said he believes the side will be competitive.

Team captain Tom Boga, Henry Umings and Lui Magaiva are the strong gold medal prospects.

In powerlifting, flag-bearer Linda Pulsan is a shoo-in for the women’s 72kg gold medal, with the 44-year-old already a world record holder in the squat.

Lawn bowls has always had good returns at Pacific Games and the national squad under coach William Stevens is expected to do well at the new facility in Bisini.

In tennis, sisters Abigail and Marcia Tere-Apisah, won gold in the women’s doubles competition at the last Games and four years on the siblings are aiming to do well in the singles competition. In bodybuilding, veterans Jack Viyufa and Donald Kaiwi will face stiff opposition from Tahiti and New Caledonia as they try to repeat past successes.

In the martial arts, taekwondo’s Theresa Tona, Colland Kokin and Rainner Pennie are serious gold medal contenders 

Of the team sports cricket, softball and rugby league nines are all expected to win gold medals.

PNG’s dominance in the bat-and-ball codes will ensures it claims the top honours while rugby league fans will want nothing less than a golden finish for the SP Hunters-dominated nines side.

With at least 60 medals provided by the afore-mentioned codes the rest of Team PNG will need to find something extra to help the country reach its target.