Pacific Games

The highly anticipated international Kokoda Boxing Challenge was an important fundraiser event for PNG Boxing Union which would greatly assist in its endeavours to provide our boxers much needed ring time as well as getting the team to Brisbane for more quality training before the Pacific games.

PNG Boxing Union President, Dr. Gideon Kendino while thanking the NSW Team for making the event a success, expressed gratitude and thanks to the corporate sponsors and partners for their generous support including Air Niugini and Lamana Gold Club for the providing the fight venue.

Instead, he supports the call in the hope of instilling discipline in the sporting codes in the country. 

Polye made this comment at the press conference in Port Moresby on September 11th, 2023 to clear the air with PNG Rugby League management and fans following the concern raised as to why the Rugby 9s was axed from participating at the Pacific Games.

The training started on Friday May 2nd with screening and testing with high performance and continued on Saturday with passing drills. Today, assessments will be made on game skills. 

Running together on training are men and women's teams. The train on squad had both new and incumbent players. Following the completion of these training sessions, final squad will be named to represent the country at the Pacific Games. 

While the endorsement of the final team is pending, the top management for Team PNG has been appointed. The JC is the committee under the PNG Olympic Committee (PNGOC) that deliberates and endorses sports and their top athletes to take part as Team PNG in the Olympics, Commonwealth and Pacific Games.

Targeted sports that will represent Papua New Guinea at the 2022 Pacific Mini Games in Saipan, Northern Mariana Island, scheduled for June 17^th to 25^th 2022 are Athletics, Beach Volleyball, Golf, Tennis, Va’a and weightlifting.

PNG athletes hauled in a total of 14 gold, 20 silver and 17 bronze with Fiji second on 10 gold, 7 silver and 3 bronze.

However Australia, competing for the first time in athletics, won gold in four events in which PNG has been dominant in at recent Games (men’s 400m, men’s 400m hurdles, women’s 800m and women’s 100m hurdles).

Given that PNG won silver in all these events in Apia then if one is comparing this year’s results to previous Games, the 14 gold should be 18.

In the women’s lightweight category, New Caledonia's Jaycee Brival took gold, her team mate Rosa Delots silver, and the two bronze went to NCL’s Cloe Omo-Perraut and Fiji’s Veniana Ravesi.

For the women’s heavyweight open, there was a surprise victory in gold for Shanice Takayawa of Fiji. Poerava Temakeu of Tahiti settled for silver and the bronze was shared by Tahiti’s Rauhiti Vernaudon and Teraimatuatini Bopp.

In the men’s doubles quarter finals, Tongan brothers Matavano and Semisi Fanguna upset second seeds, PNG’s Mark Gibbons and Matthew Stubbings, to progress to the semi-finals. An excited Matavano Fanguna said: ”This win means a lot. It’s our second Pacific Games but our first time to progress to the semis”.

Despite throwing four out of six foul throws at Apia Park Stadium, Vahai Sosaia’s two successful throws were comfortably the furthest of the session and he secured gold with a best effort of 62.41 metres.

Samoa’s Laurence Faapoi Tasi came second throwing 53.53m, and Papua New Guinea’s Lakona Gerega collected bronze, throwing 52.72m.

“I’m very emotional to get first place and very happy for today,” he told the Pacific Games News Service. “It has being a lot of hard work getting into the Pacific Games and it’s a reward for all the hard work along the way.”

American Samoa, Fiji, Guam, Tahiti and Vanuatu have also lodged their interest with the Pacific Games Council (PGC).

The declaration of interest from Tonga is one of the most eye-catching of the potential contenders.

The kingdom was awarded the 2019 Pacific Games back in 2012, having seen off competition from Tahiti.

Tonga's Government withdrew from hosting the Games in 2017, citing financial concerns as the motive for the decision.

It led to the PGC reopening the bid process and selecting Samoa as replacement hosts in December 2017.

The 23-year-old is based in the US where she trains, but is back in the Pacific to compete in three separate events at the Pacific Games.

She surprised everyone at the 2015 Games to win bronze in the triple jump, but she’s hoping the medal she walks away with in 2019 is gold.

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