Rivan qualifies for World Youth Games

THE PNG Athletics Union have selected junior sprinter John Rivan as their nominee for the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore from Aug 14-26.
From East New Britain, the former Malabunga Secondary student was discovered at the 2008 national championships where he won the 100m, 200m and 400m in the U16 division, by a big gap to all the other runners in all three races.
His performance during the championship earned him a ticket for the World Youth Athletics championships (that was U18) in Italy last year.
According to PNGAU president Tony Green, there was talk of rugby scholarship late last year but that fell through so PNGAU brought him over to Lae.
Rivan is the latest PNG athlete to qualify for the World Youth Games.
The PNGAU has also described the performance of two new athletes at the Oceania U18 championships in Sydney as a great stepping stone for them.
Vanesa Waro posted two personal best times in the finals of 400m and 200m last weekend.
In 400m final, Waro made a huge personal best time of 58:64s and followed it up with another sub 59s clocked in the final as well as personal best in 26:27s in 200m.
Another athlete Reginald Monagi who was also in great form in Sydney won a silver medal in U18 triple jump with 14.06m.
Based in Lae and coached by Sandy Katusele, who accompanied the PNG athletes to Sydney, Monagi did well in the long jump with a personal best leap of 6.37m.