The 2018 Calendar for Athletics PNG has more focus on domestic programs and much less overseas travel.
Apart from the recent Commonwealth Games at the Gold Coast, the Melanesian Championship in May which will be attended by a small group of up and coming athletes.
PNG is also likely to be represented at the World Junior Championships in July and the Olympic Youth Athletics Games in October.
Attention is now being turned towards planning for the 2019 Pacific Games in Samoa with APNG President Tony Green saying that the PNG Olympic Committee Workshop in March was timely in terms of preparations.
Green adds that the Melanesian Championships will be held in Vanuatu from May 9 to 11 and will mostly be attended to by a small team due to funding restraints.
“Last year we had some funding assistance to prepare our team for the Mini Games and were able to send a large team to the Oceania Championships in Fiji.
“This year we have nothing like that so we are focusing on providing international experience to promising new athletes whom we are targeting for next years Games.
“Looking towards Samoa we have to identify the weaknesses in our squad and target athletes who can strengthen our team in those areas,” Green adds.
Meantime, the Melanesian Championships also serves as the qualifying competition for the Youth Olympic Games this year.