2017 is a busy year for Team PNG with three international sporting events on the calendar.
While the main emphasis may be on the Pacific Mini-Games to be held in Vanuatu in December, Team PNG is equally excited about participating at two international events which will take place before this.
The first of these is the Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) at Nassau in the Bahamas which will be held from July 19 to 23.
Chef de Mission for Team PNG, Michael Henao said the Commonwealth Youth Games are an exciting opportunity for young Papua New Guineans to aspire to be something great.
He alluded to the team’s success in the last Commonwealth Youth Games which was held in Samoa in 2015 where PNG won a gold medal in boxing (Thadius Katua, 60kg) and two bronze medals in tennis (Violet Apisah, Women’s Singles and Violet Apisah and Matthew Stubbings, Mixed Doubles).
“The Commonwealth Youth Games presented our medal-winning athletes an opportunity to achieve something that no other Papua New Guinean had achieved before, and that is to compete against other young people from across the Commonwealth and still come out on top,” said Henao.
A squad of 21 athletes and officials will be going to Nassau where Team PNG will be participating in five sports which are Athletics, Beach Volleyball, Boxing, Swimming and Tennis.
PNG is also honored to have been invited along to compete at the 5th Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games in Turkmenistan this September.
Henao will also be taking charge on this tour as the Chef de Mission and is looking forward to the opportunity to take PNG athletes to a new level of competition in the region.
“This will be the first time that countries from Oceania, including Papua New Guinea, participate in an Asian continental games and it will provide us an important opportunity to gauge the competiveness of our athletes.
The event will be held from September 15 to 24 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan and PNG is looking at squad of 15 or more to compete in Swimming and Weightlifting.
“The level of competition will no doubt be high and Team PNG has been working hard at preparing our athletes and officials for these Games.
“We believe we have selected our best athletes to represent the country, in both Weightlifting and Swimming, and they will no doubt make us all proud,” said Henao.
The Chef has also recently returned from a visit to Turkmenistan where he attended the Chef de Mission seminar and reports that all arrangements are in place and the facilities are in excellent condition.
“On behalf of every member of Team PNG, I thank the National Government, sponsors and supporters of the Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee and sports fans throughout the country for their support and belief in Team PNG.
“We are looking forward to flying the Bird of Paradise in Bahamas and Turkmenistan this year,” said Henao.