YOUNG PNG HURDLER CONFIDENT OF DOING WELL

A YOUNG hurdler is confident of doing well in the 2013 Mini Pacific Games to be held in Wallis and Futuna next month.

During training on Tuesday with the National Capital District team preparing for the Southern Region Athletics Championship to be held next week, Manuai Kenas said he was confident of doing well knowing that he won gold in last year’s PNG Games in the 400m hurdles and took out the first place in this year’s National Athletics Championships last month.

Kenas and Freddie Hongoworie are two athletes from NCD preparing for the Mini Games.  

Other athletes of the 38-member team representing PNG are training in Lae, Kokopo and overseas.

Kenas is aware he will be competing against senior hurdler and Pacific Games and Oceania champion Mowen Boino but he said he would still give his best. 

Photo: 400m hurdler Manuai Kenas (left) and fellow NCD athlete Elias Larry during training in Port Moresby on Tuesday. They are preparing for the Southern Region Athletics Championship to be held next week. – Picture by PNG OLYMPIC COMMITTEE MEDIA UNIT

To win the top prize in the 400m hurdles, Kenas, who was the fastest child in his class and school in primary school, had to listen to his coaches to concentrate on the 400m hurdles.

“I was fast in school but to compete against top national athletes, I had to listen and make changes,” Kenas said.

NCD athletics coach Naomi Polum said Kenas had progressed in a big way.

“We introduced him to the 400m hurdles just before the PNG Games last year and he has performed very well with a huge personal best – that is electronically timed,” Polum said. 

Of mixed Manus and New Ireland parentage, Kenas was in Grade 9 when he took part in the 2009 PNG Games where he came third in the 200m Open B Division, with Paul Pokana, a friend, winning the event.

“After the 2009 Games, I lost interest but was encouraged by Pokana to come back and train,” he said.

“During an athletics clinic, I learned that I could do better if I focused on the 400m hurdles.”

He said he made the change and that paid off.

Kenas was a member of the NCD 4x400m relay team that won gold in the 2011 Arafura Games.

He is positive and looks forward to the Wallis and Futuna Games knowing that he is well supported by his parents, team mates and coaches. 

- News item, August 16, 2013