Swimmers return from Australia

By ISAAC LIRI
YOUNG Papua New Guinea swimmers Josh Tarere and Leonard Kalate arrived back from Melbourne on Friday after taking part in the Victorian State Swimming championships.
The Lae-based 17-year-olds from Pomio in East New Britain, were accompanied by PNG swimming sensation Ryan Pini, who was mentoring the pair hoping to qualify for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in April.
Pini spoke highly of the duo who were identified through the national championships run by PNG Swimming.
“They’ve been identified through the talent identification programme and they have been selected as part of the Commonwealth Games squad in the lead up. In the next couple of weeks, they will find out whether they are selected or not,” Pini said.
“Basically the swimmers were helped with funding assistance so they travelled down to Australia where they’ve been for the last three weeks to gain experience.
“They had opportunities to race in the Victorian State Championships which was the same pool where I won gold in the 2006 Commonwealth Games so they got some valuable experience and the opportunity to train in Australia.
“Over the next couple of weeks they will be competing in the local competitions. I hope they make the Commonwealth Games team.”
Pini said apart from the Commonwealth Games, one will be selected to represent PNG in the next Youth Olympic Games.
“One will be selected for the Youth Olympic Games. They’ve got some good background and are great swimmers, they train hard and hopefully they get to represent PNG,” Pini said.
Tarere said it was his first time to travel out of the country and with the opportunity in his grasp, he swam a personal best in the 100m freestyle clocking a time of 55.96.
For Kalate, he swam his personal best in the 50m breaststroke clocking a time of 31.00 from his previous time of 32.01.