Yeah why do we?? I've been living in Australia for a while and have seen how well we compete against others here especially when still in school. Why don't we continue proffesionally in the country.
I know we have good athletes but why do we not succeed internationally like @ the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics and so forth.
Our country is full of great athletes why don't we make use of them and try to improve our natural skills. There's lack of support and finance which is probably the biggest factors.
I just hope this'll change quikley.
This is my point exactly. And not just in Athletics but across the entire spectrum of sports. The SP games is going to be a farce for PNG because we, the biggest country in the Pacific Region, are going to be soundly thrashed by the likes of Fiji, New Caledonia and Tahiti!!!!!! Once again we are going to be the laughing stock of the region and the questions is why????
We can use Athletics as an example but the story is mirrored across many other sports. In fact Athletics is one area where we may be competitive in Fiji especially in the mens events. Peter Pulu will go close in the 100m/200m, Clement Abai will challenge in the 800m, Mowen Boino will win the 400m hurdles if he runs to his potential and Jeefrey Bai is an outside chance of taking out the 400m flat. We don't have a hope in the other events and the women will be battling for the minor medals. But what makes the guys above different. They have had the opportunity to train overseas with good facilities under proper coaches. The Fijians do it and that is why they are the best.
The answer is simple. Spend funds sending our elite athletes overseas to hone their schools and at the same time use the funds we waste on expensive overseas trips to improve the infrastructure, facilities and coaching. The PNG Sports Federation has squandered millions of Kina over the years when these funds could have been better spent on improving the standard of PNG sport.
The SP games are going to be an embarrasment for PNG and I just hope we can turn it around from here on in.
i think the banks have maintained a very strong sense of community over the years.
In any case, there is a lot of money floating around for the Sports Federation to squander. Refer Post Courier today. K1.5m to be wasted on sending a contingent to the SP games for a holiday. If they come back with something and then IMRROVE going forward then one can infer that it is money well spent. I would much rather spend $1.5m on Junior development, infrastructure and Training rather than pay for peoples holiday.
Its funny isn't it, banker? The fact that we would spend K1.5 million on sending a large group of sportspeople to an obscure little tournament to post athletic performances that are at best mediocre by world standards, rather then spend a tenth of that amount identifying and training potential Maurice Greens and Marion Jones who could potentially elevate PNG to the upper pantheons of athletic achievement in the future.
Look at what the likes of Marcus Bai, Stanley Nandex and Clement Abai have done with the aid of some international exposure and access to proper facilities. We have the talent it is just a case of nurturing that talent to the next level and that only comes with the proper training and facilities.
Imagine what $1.5m could provide for the sporting organisations...................
I dont know whether Png will be a total shame at the up-coming SP Games. I mean, the boxers look promising. Most of the boxers won against their opposition in the fight set up between the Png boxers and the Qld boxers flown to Png for the competion. The athletes representing Png need to be backed up by their fellow country, to have a reason to win. People, have a little faith and maybe they will do the country proud. Instead of running them down, give them support. You never know, the outcome may be surprising.
From the many sports we participate in, PNG is respected in at least a few in oceania/commonwealth/world. These sports are: Athletics, Boxing, Squash, Swimming, Kickboxing, Bowling, Karate and Taekwondo. We still have to mpress others with the obvious sports which we spend so much money and time promoting, let alone worship.
Here is a caption of what the Fijian Athletic King said about PNG.
JONE Delai has announced that he is returning to represent Fiji in the 12th South Pacific Games and will compete in four events in the competition.
The 33-year-old, speaking exclusively to the Fiji Times yesterday from San Jose in California, said he is gearing up to take the 2003 Games by storm.
"Preparation has been good so far with weekly competitions,'' Delai said."I have been training under Coach Scot Evens along with a group of America's elite junior athletes who hold age group records in 1500m and 200m events."The 200m National Age Group champion holds the record at 20.50sec and I am running somewhat alongside them."So I am in a very competitive group of athletes who are pushing me along.''
Delai currently holds the SPG 100m record with a time of 10.26sec that he set in 1997. Since then Delai has not performed and he settled for a bronze medal in the 100m and 200m events in the Guam Games in 1999.Delai has been training recently in United States and clocked an impressive time of 10.5sec (electronic) in a Sacremento meet a week ago.
The Wainibuka native also clocked 21.2sec (electronic) in the 200m and seems to be all geared up for the Games.
Delai is clocking 47.0sec in his 400m races and is looking sharp for the Games. But Delai said Fiji would face stiff challenge from Papua New Guinea in the sprint and middle distance events this year. He said the PNG athletics team is in US training following a miserable
performance at the Melanesian Championship in April.
"Peter Pulu clocked 10.84sec in the 100m and 21.19sec in the 200m race a week ago here in US,'' Delai said. "Jeffrey Bai also clocked 21.52sec in the 200m while another 400m runner registered a time of 47.80sec in the 400m event".
"A PNG 400m hurdler clocked 51.07sec that does pose a threat to us, andFiji athletes and we should be ready for some top competition in the SPG this year.
"However, I am personally looking forward to the Games and I will give my best shot in trying to win medals for Fiji.''Delai is expected to arrive in the country this weekend but he remained tight-lipped on his exact arrival date.
You have no idea what they have done over the years to keep me from helping PNG athletes.So dont dis me like Im one who just complains . Who are are you anyway? What is your contribution to PNG? I still hold 4 national records... 20 years plus.. more than any one in all PNG can claim... So if anyone can bitch about the status of things .. itll be me u save!
You have no idea what they have done over the years to keep me from helping PNG athletes.So dont dis me like Im one who just complains . Who are are you anyway? What is your contribution to PNG? I still hold 4 national records... 20 years plus.. more than any one in all PNG can claim... So if anyone can bitch about the status of things .. itll be me u save!
You know very well why they aren't hiring you, so don't pose the question so rhetorically. I haven't a clue what the reason is and whether or not it's fair, but since you're close to the action, you obviously can figure it out for yourself. Whether you want to share the reasons or not here in public is your call, but don't act like you don't know.
You know very well why they aren't hiring you, so don't pose the question so rhetorically. I haven't a clue what the reason is and whether or not it's fair, but since you're close to the action, you obviously can figure it out for yourself. Whether you want to share the reasons or not here in public is your call, but don't act like you don't know.
If you are still in Australia and training/competing, I would suggest you contact the PNG Athletics Union and send them your information. And if you are that good, you may be an asset to the PNG girls sprint team. But mind you, you would need to clock a 12.00sec in 100m or 25.00secs in the 200m to get into the PNG female team. The point is if you want to make it into the PNG team, you must compete at the National Championships when they are conducted here. Its too easy to criticise but I take my hats off to the athletes who have made huge sacrifices.
Funding to sports is a very important aspect of sports development which Iam sure a lot of people have commented on. The problem with PNG female track and field athletes is that they don't last long. Their priorities changes as they grow older. This is understandable because what is there for them in PNG Sports. Over the years we have had female sprinters that the Fijian cannot match especially the stars of the 1991 SP Games like Iamo Launa, Lily Tua, Tahiri Homerang, Babra Sapea, elizabeth Kamilus and Mary Unido. They set the South Pacific Games female record for the 4 x 400m relay that stood for almost a decade. Our stars of the 1999 Sp Games like Helen Muga and Ann Mooney are not here. These two ladies would have been very very competive come this South Pacific Games but again they are not here. If you want to know, Helen Muga is pursuing a Masters Degree in Chemistry in Australia. At the time she competed in Guam in 1999, she was a Science Student (Chemistry Major)at UPNG. Ann Mooney also studied at Griffith University.
My advice to you is let the approppriate people take care of funding and so on. Why don't you find yourself a pair of spikes and hit the track and get in touch with the PNG Athletics Officials with your weekly performance report and they'll see if you are capable of making an impact in the PNG female sprint team.
the reason we do not perform as well as other countries is not because of a lack of talent or potential, but because Papua New Guinea simply does not have the facilities. We have awesome coaches, but the PNG Sport Organisation facilities are not as advanced as Australia.
You are comparing Papua New Guinea to Australia - the two countries contrast vastly. In Australia - there are various athletics competitions. There are athletics work shops and heaps of athletics clubs that ultimately develop athletes.
This contrasts to PNG where we don't have as many opportunities to develop our skills or compete. There are a smaller number of elite coaches. Yet, this should not be a barrier for aspiring athletes.
In order to succeed in a sport you need to learn the correct techniques, basic concepts of how to run correctly, then maintain a high level of fitness. Sprinting at a competitive level - National, International - Commonwealth and Olympics requires an immense kind of commitment. Not only this - the training is hard. It is essentially up to you how far you want to go.
I think Papua New Guineans are naturally gifted athletes, it is simply that we are not developing these abilities. There are not as many opportunities as Australia.
However, I think that it is important to not let these issues like money, lack of experience, or lack of competition stand in your way. If you are keen to continue running, you should put in the hard yards. Create your own opportunities. Find yourself a coach, and practice running. Get in there.
Womens athletics in Papua New Guinea is coming along really well. You just have to look at the recent games in Lae. PNG women did extremely well, and there is heaps of room for growth.
Listed below is a simplified version of what I think potential athletes need to do in order to succeed. Essentially, it is a personal decision and I think you have to be stubborn in your goals.
Steps to become competitive:
1. Increase fitness - be able to sustain intense training
2. learn the basic concepts - how to run technically correct --> this requires feedback from top coaches
3. practice and train hard, you need a proper program that develops all the systems of the body that are used in running fast.
4. you need to compete - and practice racing in a competitive environment.
Port Moresby Athletics Association used to have a few athletics clubs in the past. Its not the case now for a lot of reasons. However, this is not to say that there is nothing going on year in year out. The Port Moresby Athletics Association conducts athletics competition every year especially between January and June where athletes go through various phases of training that culminates in the provincial championship. Athletes are selected to represent POM from this championship at the National Athletics Championship. Qualifying times for POM will have to be met in order to participate at the National Championship as the National Championship is an avenue where athletes perform at the highest level to gain selection into the National Track & Field Team and also get into the development squad.
Training programs for the following year are distributed to athletes in Nov/Dec so that they start on their prepatory phases of the program. Invitations are also sent out especially to EM TV for interested individuals and school kids to join Port Moresby Athletics Association.
You can get further information by contacting Ms Sophia Marai of the Korobosea International School on 325 5358 or Mr Gordon Kapak of Investment Promotion Authority of 321 7311. Ms Naomi Polum the head coach of the PNG team is temporarily based in Goroka coaching the National Sprint Squad. She should be back in POM once the South Pacific Games Duties are done by July. She teaches at the Saint Joseph International School. You can reach her by contacting the school.
Good luck in your aspirations to run. Don't give up, training is very hard, but if you hang in there, you'll reap the rewards.
But we DON'T PRACTICE ENOUGH. Look at how many, many hours serious athletes practice in Australia. We're too lazy to give it that kind of dedication. We wanna play around too much.
