Sports meet to prepare for Arafura Games

THE PNG Sports Foundation has called on a meeting for all participants travelling to the Arafura Games on Saturday.
The meeting will be held at the PNGSF office at 9am.
The meeting is for sporting organisations to submit their expressions of interest and to start work on necessary arrangements which will be given by the planning committee in preparation for the Arafura Games in Darwin, Northern Territory, from next May 7-14.
PNG Sports Foundation executive director Iammo Launa met with sports representatives during launch briefing late last month to discuss on a number of key issues which are vital for the Paralympic and sporting teams to know in order to prepare for the games next year.
Launa stressed the importance of the games preparations, and provided the sports representatives with information on Arafura Games Charter and Expression of Interest forms.
She added 13 sports and the Oceania Paralympic team would be participating.
The 2011 Arafura Games will have 17 sports on offer for PNG participants –  athletics, basketball, boxing, cricket, table tennis, golf, hockey, volleyball, football (U17 and U18), swimming, table tennis, weightlifting and shooting.
Unfortunately, lawn bowls and darts have been excluded for next year’s games.
Participation in the Arafura Games is sanctioned by PNG Arafura Games Planning Committee (APC-PNGSF) and a country may enter a team in one sport in each of the following categories: national team, national elite junior team, national police and army  and university team.
The national teams do not have to be the most elite players in the country but they represent development teams that best suit the standard of competition in a particular sport.
Last year’s  provincial games gold medal winners in team or individual sports will also participate  at the Arafura Games.