Wisil part of PNG squad contrary to report: Green

TOEA Wisil, pictured, and Ephraim Lerkin competed at the Queensland Track Classic in Brisbane on Saturday evening.
The Classic is one of the premier events of the Australian domestic calendar and the last major event before the season closes with the national championships in Sydney.
Lerkin was competing in his first race of the year in his favourite event of 400m hurdles and clocked a respectable 51.98 seconds which his just outside his personal best of 51.56secs.
The 21-year-old from Simberi Island, New Ireland, was disappointed not to post a faster time as he believed he could have done much better, but did not run the race according to plan.
Wisil competed in the 100m and 200m clocking times of 11.76 secs and 24.38 respectively which although outside her best times they are consistent with her current form.
“Toea was understandably upset with the false media report on Friday suggesting that she would not be in the team for the Pacific Games but she tried her best to put this behind her and focus on her races,” Athletics PNG president Tony Green said.
Wisil will remain in Brisbane for the next 10 days and prepare for the Australian national championships in Sydney where she will run the 100m only.
She will travel to Sydney with Lerkin on April 3 and return to Goroka on April 8.
Green said Athletics PNG were also disappointed with the media report on Friday which arose from Wisil’s absence from a press conference the day before.
“It was clearly stated that we were not yet able to name the full team for the Games but were simply introducing to the media and the public a number of other athletes who will be part of the team” added Green.
Wisil, 31, has been PNG’s leading track athlete for close to a decade and has won Oceania and Pacific Games titles since 2008.