Athletics Papua New Guinea President Tony Green is intent on his country maintaining its position as the number one track and field nation at this year’s Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands ©Facebook

Papua New Guinea is intent on maintaining its position as the number one track and field nation at this year’s Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands.

Tony Green, President of Athletics Papua New Guinea, promised that there were plans to build on the recent success at the 2022 Pacific Mini Games in the Northern Mariana Islands, where Papua New Guinea won a total of 62 medals, including 23 gold, in the athletics.

The next best nation was Fiji with eight gold medals.

Stronger opposition is expected be in evidence at the Pacific Games, which are due to take place in the Solomon Islands' capital Honiara from November 19 until December 2.

At the last Pacific Games four years ago in Apia in Samoa, Papua New Guinea won a total of 51 medals in athletics, 20 of them gold, finishing ahead of Fiji, who claimed 14 gold among a total of 20.

Papua New Guinea had also finished top of the athletics medal table at the 2015 Pacific Games at home in Port Moresby with 62 medals, including 23 gold.

The last time they failed to top the medals table for athletics was at the 2011 Pacific Games in Nouméa when the host nation New Caledonia had pipped them.

In Samoa in 2019, Papua New Guinea's star was Toea Wisil, winner of an unprecedented triple-triple, winning the 100 metres, 200m and 400m for the second consecutive Games.

It bought her total of Pacific Games gold medals to 15. 

Papua New Guinea sprinter Toea Wisil won the 100m, 200m and 400m for the second consecutive Pacific Games at Samoa 2019 ©Samoa 2019
Papua New Guinea sprinter Toea Wisil won the 100m, 200m and 400m for the second consecutive Pacific Games at Samoa 2019 ©Samoa 2019

Green outlined four key areas of preparation - training camps at home; specialist training for elite athletes at the Gold Coast in the technical events of hurdles, jumps and throws; support for athletes based in the United States and an appropriate competition schedule domestically and internationally.

Athletics PNG will stage its usual regional and national championships this year, sponsored by PNG Air.

"With a large number of athletes from PNG likely to be in the national capital ahead of the PNG Games athletics competition this is a good opportunity to stage an age-division championships," Green said.

"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."

Athletics Papua New Guinea, with competitors of the quality of decathlete Karo Iga, is set on maintaining its pre-eminence in track and field at this year's Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands ©Getty Images
Athletics Papua New Guinea, with competitors of the quality of decathlete Karo Iga, is set on maintaining its pre-eminence in track and field at this year's Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands ©Getty Images

The National Championships in August will be an Open event, after which the final team for the Pacific Games will be announced.

Green added that the selection policy was being reviewed and would shortly be made known to athletes.

He warned it will not be possible in some cases to have overseas athletes at the Championships, but added: "Obviously the Championships will be very important in terms of selecting the team, but it has been a longstanding policy that we expect to see consistent performances from athletes over a period of time.

"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 and performance history."

Other events on the international calendar this year are the Oceania Cup in Saipan in June and the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago in August.