61st National track and field championships

With the Pacific Games in Honiara in November next year, the 2023 PNG Games and National championships will be more important in selecting the team than the 2022 Championships.

President Tony Green said the event was made possible through the support of PNG Air and through funding support of the World Athletics, PNG Olympic Committee, Prima Small goods, Hohola Apartments, National Sports Institute, PNG Sports Foundation and the HP Unit.

Nonetheless, Green was impressed with many of the performances especially in the track events and in spite of the long delays, the athletes faced.

The big upset of the weekend of December 11 was Pais Wisil upstaging Leroy Kamau in the men’s 100m to win with an excellent personal best time of 10.69 secs.

Coach Samu Sasama was pleased with Wisil’s improvement and said that he was beginning to cope better with the pressure of big competitions.

PNG’s depth in the men’s 400m was evident in the 4*400m where the NCD team which included national reps Leroy Kamau , Eldan Toti and Benjamin Aliel as well as young Paul Mea Gabara had to fight hard to hold off the NSI team of Pais Wisil , Timothy Tuna, Adolf Kauba and Jobbie Kinzu.

In the women’s sprints, Edna Boafob dominated the 200m and 400m whilst NSI’s Salome Yaling showed considerable improvement to clock a huge personal best of 12.65secs in the 100m to win the race ahead of National Rep Monica Korowi.  

A number of the male middle distance runners identified by Athletics PNG from the NGI Regional event and brought to Port Moresby ahead of the championships for lead up races performed very well including Juteis Robinson, Willie Kalai  and Kevin Livai, though it was disappointing that Kalai ran with the U18 instead of the open.

In the women’s middle and long distance events, Christina Moiyang and Miriam Toby posted strong performances and it was very encouraging to see the two Oro runners (Esmie Isoroembo and 17 year old Ray Kumala  Heru)  completing the demanding 3,000m steeplechase event in respectable times of 13min 38 and 13:32 respectively.

Scholastica Herman was as expected in scintillating form in the 800m (2min 15secs) and 1500m ( 4min 47 secs)  coming close to the national junior records in both events.

Adolf Kauba is another athlete who has improved in his one year in Goroka training at the national Sports Institute, pushing Benjamin Aliel all the way in the 400m final and running 48.92secs.

He also clocked a personal best 1min 55 in the 800m.

In the field events, national record holders Lakona Gerega, Sharon Toako and Rellie Kaputin were all in action and throwing events for the para athletes were included in the Championships for the first time.

New talents that emerged from the championships include 15-year-old Judy Mitchell who won the U18   100m and 200m; as well as young sprinters Emmanuel Mamei, Gerson Tinut and Paul Mea Gabara.