Wisil claims 100m at c’ships

PACIFIC Games gold medallist Toea Wisil claimed the 100m final at the PNG Air National Athletics Championships at Sasi Muthuvel Stadium in Kimbe, West New Britain, over the weekend.
The 31-year-old beat fellow Pacific Games medallist Leonie Beu, who as in fine form with her wins in the 200m and 400m.
Some new talent were unearthed at the three-day meet.
Seventeen-year-old Scholastica Herman, a Grade 9 student at Maltech Secondary School in East New Britain, won the women’s 1500m in five minutes, 10 seconds on Saturday afternoon and followed it up with an impressive run in the 3,000m on Sunday.
The crowd was entertained to a fine race in the 3,000m with early leader Mary Tenge being overhauled in the closing stages by Herman and crowd favourite Dominica Kakapa, from WNB.
East Sepik’s Emmanuel Anis impressed in the men’s 100m, recording the second fastest time in the heats with 10.77 seconds.
The National Capital District’s Tovetina Tuna, son of one of PNG’s most successful athletes in Takale Tuna, clocked an impressive 11.01 seconds in the 100m heats on Saturday.
However, conditions were not so favourable for the 100m finals in the afternoon after a heavy downpour and all the athletes posted slower times in the finals, including Wisil who clocked times of 11.76 and 12.01 seconds.
Around 300 athletes competed in the event which kicked off on Friday afternoon after the opening ceremony attended by Governor Francis Maneke and State Enterprises Minister Sasindran Muthuvel.
The pair pledged their support to the development of athletics in the province.
Athletics PNG president Tony Green thanked the local organising committee, headed by Nolene Pidik, for a fine job as hosts.
He also thanked sponsors PNG Air, Lae Biscuit Company, Panamex, Guard Dog Security and the PNG Sports Foundation.
Some quality races were also seen in the open division with the men’s 200m the highlight.
National Sports Institute-based ENB athlete Michael Penny was the clear winner with an impressive 21.53 seconds.
Shadrick Tansi (21.71) held off David Guka for second with fourth-placed Daniel Baul and Linus Kuravi (fifth) right behind them.
The highlight of the men’s middle and long distance events was Sunday’s 5000m with James Kuadua tracking Siune Kagl for most of the race as he did on many occasions earlier this year only for Kagl’s superior finishing speed to be the telling factor in the end.
In the field events, national record holder Lakona Geraga showed his class in the javelin with a throw of 57.33m to win by more than 10m from WNB’s Samuel Pai.
The women’s field events did not attract a lot of competitors but the Under-18 and mens jumps were keenly contested.
New Ireland’s Moses Darius, based in WNB, won the men’s high jump with 1.85m with ENB’s Kenneth Harrison coming out on top from a field of 14 in the U18 men’s long jump.
The championships bring down the curtain on what has been a long and very eventful season for PNG athletics and the focus now switches to 2020 and the Melanesian Championships in June preceded by various regional events and the PNG Games towards the end of the year.