Athletics PNG is in the process of finalising its calendar of events for 2023, with consultations being held ahead of final endorsement by the Executive Committee. Obviously the key event for this year is the Pacific Games in Honiara and clearly the objective for PNG Athletics is to maintain its position as the #1 track and field nation in the Pacific. “We are aiming to build on our resounding success at the 2022 Mini Games by keeping the momentum going with our programmes and all stakeholders must recognise that we will face stronger competition in Honiara , so we need to be prepared for that”, said President Tony Green. Our elite athletes will need continuing support for their training programmes and we will learn from past mistakes and have a more targeted approach with athletes preparing for specific events. Strong competition is expected for places in the men's track team with a growing number of athletes challenging the established members of the team. Green thanked the NSI Director Janet Gimots for the continued support of the Institute and said that APNG will continue to work closely with the Institute to deliver an outstanding result at the Games. Athletics delivered its plans for Games preparations to the PNG Olympic Committee in October last year together with a budget, as well as tiering scorecards for its squad members. “Basically we have four major components to the plan said Green with ongoing training camps in PNG ; specialist training for elite athletes at the Gold Coast in the technical events of hurdles, jumps and throws; support to the US based athletes; and an appropriate competition programme ,both domestic and international. Other events on the International calendar next year are the Oceania Cup in Saipan in June and the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago in August. PNG will form part of a Melanesian Team which will take on Australia , New Zealand , Micronesia, Polynesia and other teams in what is expected to be a high quality eight team Oceania Cup competition. Following its strong performance in 2022 PNG is expected to have a good number of its athletes selected for the Melanesian Team. Athletics PNG will stage its usual regional and National championships in 2023 sponsored by PNG Air and the dates of these events have been drawn up with consideration that the PNG Games will be held during the second term holiday. “With a large number of young athletes from around PNG likely to be in the National Capital ahead of the PNG Games Athletics competition (which is always in the second week of the Games) this is a good opportunity to stage an age division championships” said Green so that’s what we are proposing. Then the National championships in August will be purely an Open event, following which the final team for the Pacific Games will be announced. Green said that the selection policy is being reviewed and will be communicated to athletes soon. “We would of course love to have all the overseas athletes in attendance at the Championships” , said Green but he acknowledged that this may not be possible in some case so the selection policy has to cater for this. “Obviously the Championships will be very important in selecting the final team, but it has been a long standing policy that we expect to see consistent performances from athletes over a period of time and no one should be expected to be selected on the basis of a one off performance that is not backed up with a known training/performance history”

The Brisbane Broncos can confirm Tesi Niu will depart the club. Niu scored 11 tries in 32 games for the Broncos, having made his debut for the club in Round 4, 2020 against the Roosters. Broncos Coach Kevin Walters said, “Tesi has been in the Broncos system for a number of years and is highly regarded across the club. “But we believe he will receive more opportunities elsewhere and it’s an indication of our respect for Tesi that we have allowed him to depart. “We wish Tesi all the best in the next part of his journey.” Source: Broncos.com

The PNG Olympic Committee (PNGOC) and IBS University (IBSU) are proud to announce the renewal of the IBSU Athlete Scholarships, under the Athlete Excellence for Life program. With the vision to develop the capability of elite athletes for life after sport, the scholarship will once again see athletes undergo various courses at the IBS through this scholarship. The PNGOC is now calling for applications from interested Team PNG athletes for educational scholarship opportunities in collaboration with the IBS University in Port Moresby. Applications are available for certificate, diploma and bachelor courses and is now open and will close on the 3rd of February 2023. Whilst calling for Team PNG athletes to take advantage of this opportunity to take up studies at the university, the PNGOC President Sir John Dawanincura also acknowledged the IBS University for the renewal of its continued sponsorship to the PNGOC, through an array of educational scholarships for Team PNG athletes since 2016. Sir John acknowledged the continued support from founder Sir Mick Nades and the management of the IBS University for continuing to support our Team PNG athletes with this education opportunity. “We are very happy and thank IBSU as there are not many opportunities available in the country for our athletes to train as well as have the opportunity to study at the same time’, Sir John said. He further stated that that education was an important foundation in personal development and IBSU offers high-quality education which we are grateful for, as the education qualifications attain will greatly benefit the athletes with settling in life after active sports and national representative duties. Since the inception of the program, over 50 athletes from across 20 affiliated sporting codes that make up Team PNG contingents to international multi-sports events have greatly benefitted with furthering their education from scholarships, and securing jobs following their graduation.

The renovation and upgrade of the Kokopo police station cell block in East New Britain has been completed and ready to be occupied by detainees. The maintenance project was inspected and declared for use on Tuesday afternoon by Kokopo district court magistrate Leonard Mesmin accompanied by Governor Michael Marum, Provincial police commander chief inspector Januarus Vosivai, Kerevat Correctional Institute of Service (CIS) jail Commander Superintendent Margreth Garap and the provincial government representatives. The upgrade and maintenance plan was focused on electrical circuits, cell blocks, juvenile cell clocks, kitchen upgrade and toilet facilities. The facility was under renovation for a period of 4 weeks by Jacom construction limited and co- funded by the East New Britain provincial government under law and order sector with K138, 000 and FinCorp donating K20, 000 under its private public community outreach. After the inspection magistrate Mesmin said the renovation was done after the court ordered for the renovation of the cell block as it was in an unhealthy and poor condition. He said detainees have been transported to Bitapaka cell block and Kerevat cell block and now with this festive season operation the two cells now have been over crowded that is why this facility is now open so that it can cater for the detainees in town. Magistrate Mesmin thanked the provincial government and other partners in assisting renovating the cell block stating that this is a very important building in Kokopo without this building the court will not function. He said that the basic facilities needed in order for the operation of cells are already in place and it is good that there is juvenile cell for males and female plus other seven cell blocks and there is enough capacity inside each cells. The magistrate declared that the cell block met the requirement and standard of the court and is it ready and fit and should be used as soon as possible and ask the police and detainees to look after the facility well. Governor Marum is thankful for the effort and partnership of FinCorp, Jacom contractor and other stakeholders for the team effort we look forward for more collaborative effort in the future. He said other cell blocks in the province will be renovated also and he will visit the Kerevat CIS to see the facilities and renovate some facilities that needed to.

I wish to announce the sad passing of Dr. Alphonse Gelu in Alotau, Milne Bay Province, earlier today after battling through a short illness. The late Dr Gelu was a smart and a committed senior public servant and as a new Minister, I was looking forward to utilizing his experience and expertise to implement the Marape/Rosso Government’s initiatives on effective service delivery at the sub-national level when he suddenly passed on today. He is a sad loss to the country. My sincere condolences to his wife and the immediate families in Port Moresby and Hoskins, West New Britain Province. My department will work closely with the immediate family to repatriate the late Dr Gelu’s body from Alotau to Port Moresby. I request for privacy to be accorded to the family as they mourn this sad loss whilst funeral arrangements are made.

Air Niugini wishes to advise the travelling public that due to issues with Puma Energy accessing US Dollars , Puma has decided to suspend the supply of Jet A1 fuel within PNG including to Air Niugini and all other airlines effective from today. This restriction applies to Port Moresby and all the airports around PNG. Unfortunately there is no alternative supplier of aviation fuel in most airports, including Port Moresby. Consequently Air Niugini is forced to announce that all domestic flights from 0001 today (Thursday 5 January) have had to be cancelled due to Puma Energy’s refusal to supply Jet A1 fuel to the airlines. These cancelations will have to be ongoing until Puma’s restrictions are removed. Air Niugini regrets any inconvenience caused to our customers, however the situation is outside the airline’s control. Air Niugini said “We have done everything possible to ensure that this situation did not occur and that we could continue to support the people of Papua New Guinea especially as they return from their Christmas holidays. The airline can assure all our customers that we are completely up to date with our payments to Puma Energy and this regrettable situation is 100% outside the control of Air Niugini. We will continue to work with all concerned in order to ensure normal operations can resume as quickly as possible”. Air Niugini apologise to its customers for the inconvenience , acknowledging the matter is outside of its control but that the airline cannot not reduce its operational standards and that safety is always paramount. Our customers are advised to revalidate their travel to the next available flight, once the date these restrictions will be lifted is known.

Record flooding is causing havoc across the Kimberley, Western Australia, as residents in Fitzroy Crossing flee to higher ground while authorities warn many communities could be cut off for a week. Bureau of Meteorology community information officer Patch Clapp said the Fitzroy River reached its highest level on record at Fitzroy Crossing this morning, hitting 15.09 metres at 10am. The previous record was 13.95m in 2002. "The major flood warning is still current for the Fitzroy River at Fitzroy Crossing and as upstream floodwaters arrive, we could see further rises through Tuesday afternoon," he said. Fitzroy Crossing resident Natalie Davey fled her house this morning and was shocked at how quickly the water rose. "We're quite close to the river and the water kept coming up," she said. "Our house is on a mound; we're about 50m away from the river bank. "It's quite terrifying when you see that amount of water just rising. "We've got creeks around us so we had water coming in from every single side." Geoff Davis owns two properties near the Fitzroy Crossing townsite. He said one had gone two metres underwater since the night before. "The New South Wales experience … has resonated a fair bit with us," he said. "You can hear the water gurgling underneath the house, and when you see your fridge start to float past you and you can almost reach out and touch it, it sparks the anxiety even though we are safe." Business owners count the cost Houses in Fitzroy Crossing are typically built for floodwaters with many on stilts, but some low-lying parts of the town are now underwater. "There is 400 millimetres underneath my feet, and the Fitzroy River is flowing quite rapidly underneath our house," Davis said. "There's that fear factor of how far will it come? Will it stop? What if it doesn't?" Davis said his son, Tristan, who owned a small landscaping business in town, had likely lost around A$25,000 (NZ$27,000) worth of equipment in the waters already. Jamal McCarthy is checking on relatives by boat on the outlying properties around Fitzroy Crossing. "We've been scrambling trying to check on people, and we've given a few people a lift into town already this morning," he said. McCarthy said he was out late into last night surveying the damage around town and was even able to drive his boat up to the town's main pub. "The water is up to the main shopping centre steps, it's hard to describe, everyone's pretty on edge - and in my lifetime, I haven't seen anything like this up here." Huge rainfall totals swamp region Western Australia's Department of Fire and Emergency Services has warned residents major flooding was expected to continue Tuesday and Wednesday, with some communities expected to be isolated for a week. Widespread rainfall totals of 200 to 500mm have fallen across the region since the start of the weekend, filling creeks and river systems that typically drain wet season monsoons. Ex-tropical cyclone Ellie is sitting west of Halls Creek and is expected to move slowly westward in the coming days towards Broome. It is understood emergency services will attempt to send aircraft to the town throughout today and tomorrow for supply drops and to evacuate people sheltering at the Fitzroy Lodge. Flood rescue boats are being used to ferry residents and assess damage. There have also been reports of damage to the local sewerage treatment plant and stock losses. Some residents at Darlngunaya, a small community near the low-lying Geikie Gorge, have been evacuated. The Department of Communities has set up an evacuation centre at Fitzroy Crossing Recreation Centre. The Great Northern Highway remains closed from Willare through to Halls Creek, while numerous local roads are also shut. - ABC

PNG Women National Team manageress Deslyn Siniu has called on all Papua New Guineans to get behind the team as they go into the third and final camp in New Zealand for the FIFA Inter-Continental Play-off next month. The team left yesterday for Auckland via Brisbane on a Qantas flight. She said the camp in New Zealand is part of the on-going preparations for the opening match against Panama on February 18, 2023. “We have a young team and they need all the support from everyone despite people having different opinions on the make-up of the team,” she said. The former PNG women’s captain said this is first time in the women football history. it’s a milestone of women football and we must get behind and throw our support for the team. Siniu said this is the dream that former players were dreaming to play in a world cup but that did not come about during their term. Now is the team and it is a dream come true for the current crop of players. She said they are the role models for young girls who can aspire as future players. “We need their prayers and support which is all we can ask for,” she said. In terms of development, she said this is a benchmark and WNT hopes to go one better by qualifying for one of three spots in the FIFA WWC in New Zealand 2023. Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso was on hand to bid farewell to the women's team at the Jackson's International Airport before their departure. Travelling Team: Faith Kasiray, Betty Sam, Margaret Joseph, Charlie Yanding, Lucy Maino, Isabella Natera, Olivia Upaupa, Rumona Morris, Daisy Winas, Asaiso Gossie, Gloria Laeli, Kesai Kotome, Michaelyne Butubu, Shalom Waide, Calista Maneo, Ivonne Gabona, Philis Pala, Ramona Padioa, Nenny Elipas, Karen Kalapi, Anasthasia Gunemba, Rayleen Bauelua. Management: Edna Thomas, Susan Watpore and Deslyn Siniu.  

Harley Smith-Shields is ready to make his NRL return 18 months since he last stepped onto the field – and this time a piece of his brother will be running out with him. The 22-year-old was told he needed to find someone with a healthy hamstring if he wanted to ever run at top speed again after rupturing his ACL during pre-season training in February this year. Having played just nine NRL games or the Green Machine, the rookie outside back turned to his older brother Jese to ask for the ultimate favour. "The doctors needed a good hamstring muscle for a knee graft and the problem was I've had trouble with my hamstrings ever since I was a little kid," Smith-Shields told NRL.com "I like to try and run fast, even if I’m not that fast, and I didn’t want to have that [thought of my slow hamstring] in the back of my mind. "I didn’t even know a hamstring donor was a possibility until my physio ran it by me. "So I decided to ask my brother and at first, he actually thought I was joking and started laughing at me. "But when he realised I wasn’t joking, he didn’t hesitate for a second. He said he’d help me out with whatever I needed which was pretty cool." Rugby league has long been the sport that has united the Smith-Shields brothers  Harley, Jese and older brother Dale. The three siblings made history in 2017 when they all played first-grade for the Gungahlin Bulls together while Jese also represented the Raiders in the Harold Matthews competition in 2014. I’ll always owe him one, not that he’d ever ask for it. Harley Smith-Shields “Jese came through the grades in Canberra here as well but he got a few injuries which sort of put an end to that for him,” Smith-Shields said. “But we all grew up playing footy together and it’s always been a big part of our life, so I guess that’s why Jese was happy to help me out with my knee. "We’re only 18 months apart so we’ve always been close but I think this has brought us even closer." Smith-Shields will be looking to pick up where he left off in 2021, where he ran in a total of three tries and two try assists, in a bid to get into Ricky Stuart's side in Round 1. With Raiders co-captain Jarrod Croker, Kiwi international Seb Kris and Matthew Timoko all vying for centre spots, Smith-Shields is set to bring more healthy competition to the outside backs in 2023. “Seb (Kris) and Mokes (Timoko) both killed it towards the back end of the year and really found their form in first grade," he said. “I’ve just got to do what I can to earn a spot but I’m also just happy to play wherever I can. It doesn’t matter what position, coming off the bench or even in NSW Cup. “I just want to play some consistent footy, get some games under my belt and just play some footy again.”   Source: NRL.Com

Emotional crowds bid Brazil soccer legend Pele a final farewell, lining the streets of Santos to watch his coffin taken to its final resting place from the city's stadium where 230,000 mourners had filed past his open casket. Young and old embraced as the funeral procession wound its way through the costal city's streets for hours, with some fans in tears and others cheering and drumming for a national hero who rose from barefoot poverty to become one of the greatest and best-known athletes in modern history. "It's an irreparable loss for Brazil," said Brazil's newly sworn-in President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. "Pele, in addition to being the best soccer player in the world, was a humble, simple man." Pele died last week at the age of 82 after battling colon cancer for a year. He was laid to rest at the city's Ecumenical Memorial Necropolis, a 14-storey vertical cemetery with views of the soccer field in Santos that made him a star. Pele's funeral procession had left the city's Vila Belmiro stadium, home of Santos Football Club, on Tuesday morning. Pele played from 1956 to 1974 for the team, scoring more than 1000 goals. During a 24-hour wake, fans queued for hours to pay their respects, even overnight. One of Tuesday's most moving moments came when the firetruck bearing his coffin halted outside the home of Pele's 100-year-old mother. Crowds there applauded and chanted "Pele is our king," before holding a minute's silence. Pele's sister Maria Lucia Nascimento, 78, watched in tears from a balcony and thanked the crowds in a brief TV interview. [caption id="attachment_33726" align="alignnone" width="788"] Fans queue to see and give their last tributes and farewell to Pele at the Vila Belmiro stadium, home of Santos Football Club. Photo: NurPhoto via AFP / Gustavo Basso[/caption] Pele's son, Edson Cholbi Nascimento, addressed the crowd by the cemetery as fireworks greeted the arrival of the coffin and mourners sang the Santos anthem. "I wanted on behalf of the whole family to thank you for all the love, the respect," he said. "It's an honour, it's a great pride. Once again thank you. Now he will rest." The mausoleum where Pele now lies will be open to the public within seven days, the cemetery said. On the streets of Santos, the city of 430,000 where Pele lived for most of his life, some struggled to come to terms with his loss. "I'm still trying to get my head around this. No matter how much we prepare, we are never ready for the farewell," said Pele fan Marcelo Caverna. "We are not just saying goodbye to our king, we are saying goodbye to a genius, a legend of the Brazilian people." "You can see that the whole city has stopped. The whole world stopped," said mourner Ezequias Leonardo. Stadium wake FIFA President Gianni Infantino was one of the first to attend the stadium wake and said he would ask football associations around the world to name a stadium after Pele, the only man to win the World Cup three times as a player. [caption id="attachment_33743" align="alignnone" width="650"] Ecumenical Memorial Necropolis[/caption] Some soccer stars attended the wake, including former Brazil midfielder Ze Roberto, who helped place Pele's coffin in the center of the field. "Long live the king," read a giant banner inside the stadium. Lula had stood for about 30 minutes next to Pele's casket, draped with a Brazilian flag, in the center of the soccer field and he comforted Pele's family members. Former soccer player Clodoaldo, who played alongside Pele at Santos and with the Brazilian national team told reporters, "I went to the mourners... and I kissed them all, as if Pele was here. I am sure that's what he would do." "I kissed each one of them on the head. It's a way for Pele to give thanks for all that is happening today." -Reuters

The authorities in Malawi have suspended primary and secondary schools opening in two major cities following a cholera outbreak that has so far killed 595 people. Schools in the capital, Lilongwe, and the commercial hub, Blantyre, will remain closed for at least two more weeks after the Christmas holidays. The cholera outbreak began in March 2022 but has become acute lately. Nineteen people died on New Year's Eve alone. Cholera is contracted by eating food or drinking water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It can affect children and adults, causing severe diarrhoea, and can kill within hours if left untreated. Health authorities say that the onset of the rainy season could be making the situation worse as flood waters mixed with waste pollute water sources. A lack of proper drainage in both cities is also a factor. The outbreak has spread to nearly all of Malawi's 28 districts. The Africa Centres for Disease Control says it is concerned about the rise in cholera deaths in Malawi, which it attributes to patients not getting treatment in time. Monday's announcement has angered some parents who say their children were already on their way to school, which had been due to reopen on Tuesday. Health Minister Khumbize Chiponda said the government regretted any inconvenience and that "the late advice was taken solely in the interest of the safety of our learners". She said that school reopening will be delayed for at least two weeks, but further advice would be given.     Source: BBC