Sir John Dawanincura

Dawanincura reminded the athletes that they are not only representing their country but also their sport and families.

He urged them to support each other and work as a team to achieve their goals in the game.

“As Team PNG, support your fellow athletes and together aim for the best results that you can muster.

“The vision of the PNG Olympic Committee is to inspire and unite Papua New Guineans through sporting excellence and success.

The award was presented to Sir John on November 2, 2017, during ANOC’s 22^ND Annual General Assembly in Austria.

He said this after Trukai Industries General Manager-Sales and Marketing, Andrew Daubney, presented a cheque for K500,000 from the Trukai Fun Run to the PNGOC yesterday.

The cheque was to support Team PNG to the 2017 Pacific Mini Games in Vanuatu in December.

Dawanincura said Trukai has been supporting a number of sporting teams and associations which includes the PNG Weightlifting Federation and the PNGOC.

He thanked Trukai and acknowledged their support of PNGOC through the Trukai Fun Run for the last 18 years.

A report in The National newspaper of November 11, 2016 stated that the 2015 Pacific Games Organising Committee failed to acquit K11million of funds in 2013 and that the Auditor General did not audit the financial statements of the company.

President of the Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee, Sir John Dawanincura responded that all due processes were followed in the acquittal of the funds.

That is the word from President of the PNG National Olympic Committee, Sir John Dawanincura, who was in Lae over the weekend.

The events include the 10th Mini Pacific Games in Vanuatu in 2017, XXI Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, XVI Pacific Games in Tonga in 2019 and the XXXII Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

Another significant event expected to see the country participate globally is the Olympic baton relay that passes through PNG as part of its Oceania leg in 2017, apart from the mini Pacific Games that same year.