Training camp set

TEAM Papua New Guinea’s preparations for next year’s Tokyo Olympics is continuing with the hosting of the inaugural Games training camp at Goroka’s National Sports Institute (NSI) from Sunday to Nov 2.
With a year of disruptive preparations and the postponement of the Games, Team PNG’s targeted athletes faced many challenges to continue to stay motivated and focused for the Olympics.
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the sporting calendar has been severely impacted internationally and domestically following the closure of international borders and sporting facilities, and travel restrictions.
This forced many of Team PNG’s targeted athletes to resort to training at home in flexible and unfamiliar circumstances.
The camp will provide the opportunity to bridge that gap of a lack of sporting activities for elite athletes and coaches in PNG.
The camp will target a multitude of sports congregating in one place with the intention of providing elite performance programmes for coaches and athletes.
The PNG Olympic Committee-organised camp will bring together more than 30 targeted athletes and coaches from athletics, boxing, rugby sevens, sailing, shooting, table tennis, tennis and weightlifting who are still vying for Games qualification.
Sailing is the only sport to have secured two spots for Team PNG in the men’s laser and women’s laser radial events.
Sibling Teariki and Rose-Lee Numa are the only PNG athletes who have so far secured their spots.
Athletes and coaches based outside of PNG will not be part of the camp due to the travel restrictions in place and the high costs for international participants to complete necessary Covid-19 requirements. These sports included athletics, swimming and triathlon.
The week-long camp will cover training, educational programmes, competition manipulation, athlete safeguarding, mental skills, medical activities and physiotherapy.
The medical team, led by Dr Kapua Kapua and Dr Ivan Ravu, and High Performance Sport PNG specialists will conduct medical tests and physio screenings.
Team PNG chef de mission Tamzin Wardley is excited about the camp and is looking forward to joining the athletes.