Papua New Guinea has two athletes currently training at the Oceania Weightlifting Institute in Noumea, New Caledonia under regional coach Paul Coffa.
PNG Weightlifting Federation president Sir John Dawanicura says they’ll be sending Toua Udia and sisters Thelma and Dika Toua back to join the two male athletes Morea Baru and Fred Oala.
The five athletes will train there leading up to the Oceania Championships and Olympic Qualifiers from May 23-28 in Fiji.
Baru is also preparing to attend the Australian Open International at Brisbane in March to qualify on merit for the 2016 Rio Olympics in August.
PNG will be sending a team of seven males and eight females to attend the Oceania Championships to qualify only one male and female to attend the 2016 Rio Olympics in August.
PNG men’s team must finish in the top five to qualify one lifter while the women team must finish in the top four to qualify one lifter at the Oceania titles.
If PNG qualifies one male lifter in Fiji, then it does not matter if Baru qualifies on his own merit as his qualification will not count.
Sir John says that the Qualifying event is their main focus right now.
He said all lifters both at the Institute and in the country including Steven Kari and Guba Hale need to be under serious training now in order to meet the minimum qualification standard.
A junior team will also be sent to the Oceania Junior Championships aimed to develop the young weightlifters aged 21 years old and under.