According to Team Manager Philip Kanau, West New Britain Athletics performed extremely well at the New Guinea Islands Regional Athletics Championships held from December 8th to 10th, 2023, at Kalabond Oval in Kokopo, East New Britain Province. The team brought home 9 gold medals, 15 silvers, and 10 bronzes, finishing in second place.
Kanau explained that the team originally consisted of 30 athletes who had been preparing in Kimbe to travel. However, due to a lack of support, only 18 athletes and one official were able to attend the championships.
The athletes competed in various divisions, including U14, U16, U18, and Open Division. Reflecting on the team's performance, Kanau stated that if they had won more gold medals than silvers, they would have secured first place.
He also mentioned that the team only brought 5 girls and 13 boys, most of whom were in the development squad. There were only 4 senior boys and 2 senior girls.
Kanau commended the team's overall performance, stating that it was extremely outstanding and amazing.
Kimberly Tokavai, the gold medalist for the Open Women's Shot Put, expressed her satisfaction with her performance during the championships. She believes it has boosted her as a sports woman and is looking forward to achieving more gold medals in the upcoming PNG Games next year.
“My performances have boosted me as a sports woman in achieving my goals and I am looking forward to achieving more golds during the PNG Games,” said Kimberly Tokavai.
The championships served as a lead-up tournament for the participating teams in preparation for the PNG Games in 2024, which is the final championship of the year 2023.
Kanau emphasized the importance of attending and competing in the championships as it serves as a good preparation event for the 8th PNG Games.
The championships concluded with ENB taking first place, followed by WNB in second place, and New Ireland and Lihir in third and fourth places, respectively.
Photo Courtesy: WNB Athletics
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