papua new guinea

The PNG V12 women’s team snatched the gold from the defending champions in just 9 nano seconds.

They clocked 2 min 26:61 while Tahiti clocked 2 min 26:70 in front of PNG supporters at the Naval Lancron Bay in Port Moresby.  

The first medal for a PNG team was won by a women’s team in the 2005 Palau Mini Pacific Games.

Senior canoeist Nellie Tetaga was part of that team that won the bronze medal.

The canoeists stepped up their efforts in the 2013 Mini Pacific Games in Wallis and Futuna where the women won a silver each in the V12 500m and V6m events.

The visiting team showed class in the close encounter but with the home crowd on their side PNG fought hard in the first and second quarter.

In the first quarter, New Caledonia took the lead 17-15.

In the second quarter, the combination of brothers James and Allan Wright helped PNG level the score at half time 38-38.

New Caledonia fought back in the second quarter with great three points shots from Stephane Saminadin put New Caledonia in the lead 60-52 at the third quarter break.

Tabakaucoro has to run in nine events over five days and this includes the heats of the 100m, the 200m and the 4x100m.

He never has had to run these many races over a continuous five day period but the man who all will be watching in PNG is ready.

“This is the first time I will be competing over five days, maximum I have done is three days. With extra days, I really have to be running smart in all my races," he said.

As the nation celebrates its 40^th Independence in September, advisor and consultant to the Constitutional Planning Committee from 1972 to 1975 Prof Ted Wolfers said the country’s homegrown constitution has been upheld over the years despite political crisis.

Prof Wolfers made this known during the school of law seminar on the country’s constitution at the University of Papua New Guinea.

He said unlike many other countries; the constitution was not negotiated over the table by the former colonizers.