Dika Toua in top form: weightlifting coach

Papua New Guinea’s Commonwealth gold medalist Dika Toua is back in training at the Oceania Weightlifting Institute (OWI) in New Caledonia and is in top form.

OWI head coach Paul Coffa said that Toua is training in full force and is in brilliant condition. 

She is focusing on a back to back gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.

At the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, she won the gold medal, with a Games record of 193 kg.

Coffa told Loop PNG that he has not seen Toua as focused as she is right now. 

“This is the best I have seen her, even better than before the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

“She will win back to back gold for PNG,” Coffa said.

Coffa revealed that Toua jumped into first place in the Commonwealth rankings after performing extremely well at the 2017 Australian International Open from March 17-19 in Melbourne.

This was her first international tournament after coming off from break where she totaled 180kg in the 53Kg category.

Toua is currently training at the OWI alongside her sister, Thelma, Lorraine Harry, Morea Baru, Toua Udia and Steven Kari.

The 32 year old was the first PNG woman ever to lift weight at the Olympic Games, competing in the 48 kg category at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

She finished sixth in the women's 53 kg weight class at the 2004 Summer Olympics, lifting a total of 177.5 kg.

In 2006 she won the silver medal in the same weight class at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

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Quintina Naime