Toua, Baru stranded

THE Oceania Weightlifting Federation says it is waiting on the Papua New Guinea government to help repatriate Pacific Games gold medallists Morea Baru and Dika Toua amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Federation boss Paul Coffa told The National from Noumea last week that all other weightlifters had been repatriated by their respective countries in response to New Caledonia’s Covid-19 restrictions, which have been extended for another week.
“Baru and Toua are training at the institute here in New Caledonia,” he said.
“We are waiting for the Papua New Guinea government to repatriate their champion weightlifters home.
“Thereafter, the institute will be closed until further notice dependent on the Covid-19 situation.
“The institute is in lockdown and has been for the last three weeks.”
Commonwealth champion Steven Kari, PNG’s other Olympic hopeful, is understood to be in the country.
National Weightlifting Federation president Sir John Dawanicura said they were in talks with the PNG Sports Foundation to liaise with the Foreign Affairs Department to bring the pair home.
He said the pair’s health and wellbeing was of paramount concern as the virus continued to affect countries worldwide.
“For now, we just have to bring our athletes back home safely to their families,” said Sir John, who is also the president of the PNG Olympic Committee.
Meanwhile, when asked about the pair’s chances of qualifying for Tokyo, Coffa said: “If the Olympic Games were held this year, they would have qualified from the continental stream (Oceania).
“But due to the Olympic Games being postponed (to next year), the International Weightlifting Federation may or may not keep the same qualification criteria.
“We do not know at this stage what will happen.”