Team PNG

Katua ready for Olympic debut tonight

Katua will face off against his more experienced Russian opponent, Adlan Abdurashidov, who has been competing since 2009.

The Russian from the Akhmat Fight Club mentions chess as one of his hobbies but it will be Katua looking to checkmate the Russian in their first round bout.

The twenty-six year old, Abdurashidov qualified for the Rio Games as a highly ranked APB competitor and is a quality orthodox boxer with a high level of skill and experience.

Team PNG settles in at Rio2016 Olympic Village

The Village welcome is a tradition at the Olympics and provides the opportunity for the Mayor of the Games Village to officially welcome each country to the village and for the flag of the country to be raised at the village.

Mayor of the Rio 2016 Village, Brazilian basketball star and Olympic medallist, Janeth Arcain, greeted Team PNG along with the teams from Iceland, Luxembourg, Oman, Sierra Leone and South Sudan in what was the last of the Village welcome ceremonies.

Team PNG arrives safely in Rio

The athletes that flew out of PNG were Judo athlete, Raymond Ovinou and his coach, Richard Glied, Boxer, Thadius Katua and his coach, Joe Aufa, Weightlifting Team Manager, Winis Tua and Team PNG Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Bernie Amof.

The team left the country on Wednesday this week and upon arrival were met by Team PNG Chef de Mission, Emma Waiwai and the General Team Management.

Team PNG have now settled into the Games village.

Trukai raises K500,000 for Team PNG

The cheque presentation took place yesterday at the farewell for Team PNG at the Taurama Aquatic and Indoor Centre, Port Moresby.

Trukai general manager of sales and marketing, Andrew Daubney explained that the money for Team PNG was raised from the annual Trukai Fun Run.

“We had a record sale of 100,000 shirts and participation of 70,000 people in the Fun Run this year across 16 provinces in the country.

“But more importantly, it raised money for Team PNG to go Rio and participate in the biggest sporting event in the world,” said Daubney.

Katua and Baru going to Rio

The two secured invitations through the International Olympic Committee’s qualification systems.

This allows the best athletes in each sport to participate in the Games primarily through the continental qualification of athletes and teams.

Katua (60kg) is PNG's first Commonwealth Youth Games gold medallist and will look to build on his Pacific Games and Commonwealth Youth Games gold medals from 2015.

Baru (62kg) on the other hand is currently PNG's top male lifter and won gold at the recent Oceania Championships. He also won best lifter of the championship title.

Team PNG will walk out proudly at Rio

She made this statement last night at the launching of Team PNG’s new emblem which also coincided with the 100 days mark before the Rio Olympics.

“While some of our athletes are already confirmed for Rio, others are still trying their best to make it.

“In athletics, we have established names like Toea Wisil, Nelson Stone being challenged by youngsters like Theo Piniau and Donna Koniel for the two athletics spots up for grabs.

Waiwai: Olympics will lift standard of PNG athletes

In a Team PNG Media Blitz this morning in Port Moresby, Waiwai said Team PNG is still targeting  seven sports for the Rio Olympics- Athletics, Judo, Boxing, Swimming, Taekwondo, Shooting and Weightlifting.

She said the while Team PNG did extremely well at the Pacific Games, the Olympics is another ball game altogether competing against the rest of the world.

“So we have to take the best of our best and make sure the ones we take to Rio to represent our country do something there and make our country proud.

Pacific Games incentive payments close to completion

The PNG Olympic Committee (PNGOC) said 99 percent of payments have been made, at a cost of close to K4 million.

Out of 500 athletes, 495 of them have been paid.

PNGOC received funding from the PNG Government for the payments in early September and has since been processing these for athletes who won medals.

The remaining one percent, five athletes, are yet to sort arrangements with their sports on agreements and contracts covering them under their programs.

PNG won a total of 217 medals - 88 gold, 69 silver and 60 bronze.

PNG Olympic team eye 8 events in Rio

They’re athletics, boxing, soccer, judo, swimming, taekwondo, shooting and weightlifting.

PNG will be looking to send 28 athletes including the womens soccer team but this will depend on which athletes and teams qualify.

PNG Olympic Committee (PNGOC) confirmed that the sports are still attending their respective qualification events.

Ryan Pini is the only swimmer that has qualified so far.

The womens soccer team will play New Zealand on Tuesday, January 26 at QBE Stadium in Auckland during Leg 2 of the 2016 OFC Women's Olympic Qualifiers Stage 2.

PNG women netballers finish unbeaten

With three consecutive wins against Samoa and a drubbing of Solomon Islands and Tonga, they have put themselves in medal contention.

PNG will be playing the second placed team in Pool –A.

The official quarter finals draws are yet to be released by the games organizers but Loop PNG understands that PNG will play Cook Islands and Fiji will meet Samoa on Friday.

The winners of both matches will meet in the gold and silver play offs and the losers get a chance in the bronze medal challenge.

The Pacific Games medal play off will be played on Saturday.