The year 2015 for sports in the country can best be described as phenomenal.
Performances nationally and abroad from individual athletes, teams and from Team PNG have stamped PNG’s foot on the world stage sporting arena.
Some highlights include;
Rugby League:
The SP PNG Hunters finished off the Intrust Super Cup competition in third place in only their second season in the second tier level of rugby league.
Israel Eliab was named Five-Eighth of the Year and subsequently named in the 2015 Team of the Year.
The next award went to the ever consistent Wartovo Puara who was announced as the recipient of the XXXX People’s Choice Award.
Michael Marum was also recognised for an outstanding season so far being crowned Stage and Screen Coach of the Year
PNG then won the rights to co-host the 2017 Rugby League World Cup with all of the Kumuls games to be played in Port Moresby.
Netball:
The PNG Pepes had an outstanding year winning silver at the Pacific Games after going down to giants Fiji in the final.
They backed this up finishing second at the Mission Foods Nations Cup 2015 in Singapore.
Cricket:
It was the selection of young Lega Siaka in the Australian Prime Minister’s XI that made headlines.
More good news came when Cricket PNG won the Best Overall Cricket Development Program at the East Asia Pacific Development Programme Awards.
Swimming:
In the pool, it was PNG’s super fish Ryan Pini who was awarded Male Athlete of the 2015 Pacific Games by the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC).
Boxing:
Boxer Thadius Katua won PNG’s first gold at the Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) in Apia, Samoa beating Northern Ireland’s Bradley Tieman.
Soccer:
PNG made history winning the bid to host the 2016 Women's Under 20 FIFA World Cup.
Pacific Games:
The highlight of the year by far is PNG hosting and winning the 15th Pacific Games.
Team PNG topped the medal tally winning 88 gold, 69 silver and 60 bronze. A total of 217 medals altogether.