Sepik duo make sponsor proud at championship

 AN organisation went to the rescue of two athletes and sponsored them to the national athletics championship in Lae, Morobe, over the weekend, after this paper published the athletes’ plea.

Sepik Iron Man executive officer Gilbert Sarry assisted the athletes with two return tickets for female 400-metre runner Isilia Apkup and short-sprint star (100m and 200m) Jonatus Suagu.

Sarry said the backing was worthwhile as the duo produced good results at the meet — Apkup winning  the U18 400m and coming second in the 400m Open Invitational.

He said they wanted to make it possible for the two athletes, who were identified through the PNG Games concept, to attend the championship because they were young and had the potential to become good runners in the future. 

“For athletes like Apkup, she will not be competing at the Pacific Games but we have sponsored her by looking at the future.

“She may not be the center of attention like Betty Burua or Toea Wisil now but who knows — one day she might become the national 400m champion,” said Sarry.

Stand-in trainer Malcolm Limbai said they were proud of Apkup for making the Papua New Guinea Athletics Union’s development squad.  “Apkup is a young and promising runner, who we will continue to train (her and others) for future events after the Pacific Games,”said Limbai.

With finance being the main obstacle, Team Sepik had three other athletes at the Championship, who made their own way by travelling to Madang by boat and on to Lae by PMV.