Top athletes gear up for Mini Games with trials

LAE and Goroka-based distance runners, along with National Sports Institute-based sprinter Pais Wisil, were in Port Moresby last weekend for PNG Air-sponsored trials, to gauge their progress towards the Pacific Mini Games in June.
The highlight was another high quality men’s 1,500m with Aquila Turalom just getting the better of George Yamak to win in four minutes and 6.7 seconds and a great effort from Wilford Baia in the steeplechase with a time of nine minutes and 56.3s.
Turalom finished second in 10 minutes and eight seconds.
The weekend saw another solid 5,000m performance from Dilu Goiye.
Ongan Awa and Scholastica Herman have maintained their national championship form and look set to improve their times as they move into the next phase of training. Officials were pleased to see three women finishing closely together in the 2,000m with Aina Goir pushing Awa all the way to the line.
With Mary Tenge returning to form in Rabaul, the women’s distance squad for the Games are taking shape. National men’s and women’s discus record holders DeBono Paraka and Sharon Toako also took the opportunity to gauge their own progress in their preparations.
In the men’s sprints, Terrence Talio impressed in the 200m to win the race in 22.1s from Pais Wisil.
He then put in a strong finish to overhaul Wisil right on the line in the 300m with a time of 35.4s.
The athletes are now looking forward to next week’s training camp at the National Sports Institute. Athletics Papua New Guinea thanked PNG Air for sponsoring the athletes’ flights into the capital.
Athletics is one of codes Papua New Guinea will be sending to the Mini Games in the Northern Marianna Islands in June.