Trio qualify for Paris

By PATRICIA KEAMO
THREE more taekwondo athletes have booked their spots for this year’s Olympics Games and will represent PNG in France after getting confirmation from the World Taekwondo Federation on Friday.
Taekwondo PNG president John Cholai said Kevin Kassman (68kg) and two para-athletes Manega Tapari (65kg) and Herea Loi (70kg) will join Gibson Mara, who qualified in the Oceania Taekwondo Olympics qualifier in Honiara, Solomon Islands, last month.
All four athletes competed in the Olympic qualifier in the Solomon Islands with Mara earning a direct entry. The other three had to wait for confirmation from World Taekwondo.
Kassman and Mara will compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics from July 26-Aug 11 before Tapari and Loi compete in the 2024 Paralympic Games from Aug 28-Sept 8.
Taekwondo PNG president John Cholai told The National yesterday that with Kassman confirmed for Paris, the federation would send him and Mara to Adelaide to train with a specialised coach ahead of Paris.
The para-athletes will go for separate training abroad to be arranged by the Paralympic committee.
Cholai said they would work with the PNG Olympic Committee to plan a training schedule for Kevin and Mara.
“Our aim for the Olympic is to prepare better so that our athletes will have better chances as we are looking to get past the semifinals,” Cholai said.
“PNG has not gone past that stage so to advance to the semifinal will be a step in the right direction.”
Cholai said plans for training abroad would be subject to funding approval from the PNGOC.
“We plan to send both athletes to Adelaide to train there for at least two months then from there they’ll go to Germany to continue their preparations at least two weeks before Team PNG arrives in Paris,” Cholai said.
“They will be training under Australian-based coach Andy Rutten while in Adelaide.”
National taekwondo head coach Edward Kassman said Kevin’s confirmation for Paris now equalled the two athletes the federation sent to the 2016 Rio Olympic – Maxemillion and Samantha Kassman.
“Taekwondo PNG has gone a step further and qualified two para-athletes (Tapari and Loi) as well into the 2024 Paralympic Games bringing the total to four taekwondo athletes and making it a record number of athletes for the sport,” Edward told The National yesterday.
“Kevin is very talented and equally capable, PNG now needs to get their athletes in a conducive environment to prepare.”