Thirty-four athletes are confirmed to attend the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, United Kingdom, scheduled from July 28 to August 8, 2022.
Team PNG Chef de Mission, Michael Henao, this week said "with 23 days to go before the games and we’re pleased to announce that 35 athletes from the endorsed six sports are now hard at training.
Henao said this including 20 Athletes, who just returned from the recent Pacific Mini Games at the Northern Marianas.
Team PNG will be competing in Athletics, Boxing, Squash, Swimming, Table Tennis and Weightlifting.
He said of these sports, four athletes have qualified under the Regional Qualification Process confirmed by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).
They include Weightlifting’s Dika Toua and Morea Baru and Table Tennis’s Geoffrey Loi and Tammy Agari.
“We are excited that a total of 22 young athletes from PNG will debut when they attend this historic 22nd Edition of the Commonwealth Games, later this month,” a very proud and optimistic Henao said.
He said: “This will be PNG’s 15th Commonwealth Games since we joined the Commonwealth Games Movement in 1961 under the Territory of Papua and New Guinea. We are pleased that we have a balanced Team with experience from our 12 elite Athletes and a pool of 22 young ones who will be debuting during the Games.”
Henao said the 34 endorsed athletes include Track and Field Athletes from the sport of Athletics with the biggest Team with 18 Athletes, 7 from the sport of Boxing, 3 from Squash, and 2 each from the sports of Swimming, Table Tennis and Weightlifting.
Team PNG will be sending a total contingent of 56 athletes and officials. They will depart Port Moresby on July 23.
Athletes in training abroad will join the contingent in Birmingham, in time for the opening ceremony on July 28.