CHALLENGE FOR ATHLETES

ATHLETES preparing to represent the country in the 2013 IX Mini Pacific Games in Wallis and Futuna next month have been told they are ambassadors.

Port Moresby 2015 Pacific Games organising committee chairwoman Emma Waiwai opened the Team PNG bonding workshop on Sunday in Port Moresby by reminding the athletes and officials they were ambassadors of Papua New Guinea at the Mini Games.

“Congratulations on being selected to represent PNG. You are ambassadors and representing your country,” she said.

Waiwai urged the athletes to do their very best and use the opportunity to build for the 2015 Pacific Games to be staged in Port Moresby. 

Photo: A few of the PNG Va’a (Canoeing) team performing a song during Team PNG team bonding workshop on Sunday (August 18). They are led by guitarists Vavine Guria (left) and Ailima Kini in the presence of Rugby 7s team manager Michael Bai (right) and General Team Manager John Susuve. During team bonding, each of the eight sports participating in the 2013 IX Mini Pacific Games to be staged in Wallis and Futuna sang a song and some presented war cries that Team PNG could use at the Games. – Picture by PNGOC MEDIA UNIT  

Team PNG chef de mission Richard Kassman congratulated the athletes for making it this far but said that taking part in the Games was serious business.

“You are members of an elite group, a few among the millions in our country who are privileged and will wear the national colours during an international event,” Kassman said.  “The hard long road has only begun. Take the Mini Games seriously. It is a serious competition. And today our competition starts.”

To emphasise the privilege of representing the country, Kassman reminded athletes they were representing a great country.

General team manager John Susuve said he wanted nothing but a positive attitude from all athletes during the Wallis and Futuna Mini Games from Sept 2-12. 

Susuve said many athletes had hit brick walls but the bonding session opened up their minds with the reminder they were not individual sport representatives but were members of Team PNG and were representing their country.

During the team bonding workshop, athletes were told about doping test procedures, code of conduct rules, basic information about Wallis and Futuna and the languages used there.

The teams presented songs and war cries that could be used in Wallis and Futuna.

- From PNGOC Media Unit