Union sends small team

THE PNG Amateur Boxing Union has selected a small team to the Arafura Games.
The six-member group will fly out to Darwin on Sunday and national coach Joe Aufa said he would use the event to observe the progress of PNG boxers in preparation for the Pacific Games  in August.
“We are going to be monitoring the progress of all PNG boxers at the Arafura Games so we can  make our final selections for the Pacific Games,” Aufa said.
Boxers and PNGABU officials had been included in other provincial teams with team Central and NCD carrying the bulk of PNG boxers.
The PNGABU team consists of one technical official Simon Tovirika, Aufa and Berua as coaches and two boxers Charles Keama and Angela Ine’e with assistant Charlene Binaleva.
Berua thanked PNGABU general secretary John Avira for endorsing the team and also extended his gratitude to an unnamed sponsor who backed the team with K30,000.
“The sponsor did not wish to be named but said it was a ‘blessing’ for the team,” Berua said.
The funding covers travel expenses, accomodation and levy fees.
Avira also stressed that a boxer’s performance in the ring would not be the only deciding factor taken  into account when chosing the PNG team to Noumea.
“The Union will select boxers depending on their overall performance and behaviour during the Arafura Games,” Avira said.
“We want to rebuild the image of amateur boxing and so all boxers who want to be considered for the Pacific Games will need to perform inside as well as outside the ring,” he said.