An active day for an active movement
TEAM WORK OUT: PNG athletes start the Olympic Day with a workout session in the morning at Ela Beach. PHOTO: A. Molen/ PNG Olympic Committee.
June 23, was a very active day for the Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee as they began with a live workout session in the morning at the Ela Beach in Port Moresby as part of the Olympic Movements largest global virtual workout.
The workout session was part of the 2020 Olympic Day activities planned and hosted by the PNG Olympic Committee.
It featured former and current Team PNG athletes, Olympians, staff of the PNG Olympic Committee as well as friends.
The athletes included champion weightlifters, Morea Baru and Dika Toua, PNG and South Pacific sprint queen, Toea Wisil, tennis star, Abigail Tere-Apisah, PNG Sports Hall of Fame member and Olympian, Iammo Launa and a host of others.
Australian High Commissioner, Jon Philp and PNG Olympic Committee Secretary-General and IOC Member, Auvita Rapilla also joined in the morning activity.
Before the start of the programme, High Commissioner Philp announced a new partnership with the PNG Olympic Committee to assist in Team PNG’s preparations and participation at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
"We are proud to support Team PNG in its ambitions for Olympic success,” Philp said.
Rapilla thanked Philp and the Australian government for the support adding that PNG and Australia have a strong history of partnership that extends onto the sporting fields.
"This support brings Team PNG’s athletes and coaches closer to their Olympic dreams,” Rapilla said.
OLYMPIC RECOGNITION: PNG Vice Minister for Sport, Wesley Raminai presents the Olympian certificate to Tau John Tokwepota at the Moresby Arts Theatre as part of the Olympic Day programme that evening. PHOTO: A. Molen/ PNG Olympic Committee.
The other activity held on June 23rd to commemorate Olympic Day was a film event held at the Moresby Arts Theatre that evening.
The PNG Olympians Association presented special recognition certificates to several Olympians present at the event and a special mention of their contribution to sport as athletes was made.
Another Olympic film showing was held on Thursday 25th June at the University of PNG with Olympians Ryan Pini and Dika Toua part of panel discussions and interaction with students and other guests.
Pini shared with the audience the importance of sport in his life while Toua talked about how throughout her weightlifting career she has broken barriers to achieve success.
Films shown at the events were part of the Olympic Channel collection of movies and short films which showcase inspirational stories from athletes and moments of the Olympic Movement.
The PNG Olympic Committee encourages everyone to celebrate the Olympic Day and the three pillars of Move, Learn and Discover in their own way.
PNG Olympic Committee staff member, Kila Mala has decided to mark the occasion by inviting local heroes Dika Toua and Morea Baru and his PNG Olympic Committee colleague, Asiani Vagi to speak to community members living near his house at Hanuabada.
The trio will share on the Olympic Movement and the Olympic Games with the intention to inspire the next generation of athletes to represent PNG at the highest level of sport and to live by the Olympic Values of Respect, Excellence and Friendship.
While the Olympic Day falls on June 23, PNG Olympic Committee celebrates the occasion with a week of programmes every year.
OLYMPIC TALK: Dika Toua sharing her experience with students and guests at the Univesity of PNG. PHOTO: A. Molen/ PNG Olympic Committee.
