A show of strength
PNG at the Commonwealth Games, in pictures
Papua New Guinea’s three medals at Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, in Australia, earlier this year gave the country its best-ever result at the Games.
All the medals were won in weightlifting, with gold going to Steven Kari in the men’s 94-kilogram division. Silver medals were won by Dika Toua in the women’s 53-kilogram division and Morea Baru in the men’s 62-kilogram division. Previously, PNG’s best result had been two medals.
It was the second gold medal won by Kari (he also won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland in 2014), making him PNG’s most successful Commonwealth Games athlete.
Kari broke the Commonwealth record and Commonwealth Games record for the clean and jerk lift that won him the Gold Coast gold.
Toua’s silver sees her join swimmer Ryan Pini as PNG athletes who have won gold and silver at Commonwealth Games.
Out of 18 sports on the Games’ program, PNG was represented in 10: athletics, boxing, lawn bowls, table tennis, triathlon, rugby 7s, shooting, squash, swimming and weightlifting.
PNG had a contingent of 87 athletes and officials, led by chef de mission Tamzin Wardley.
In other sporting highlights for PNG, Debono Paraka made the final of the discus with a national record throw of 52.6 metres. Samuel Nason, a T46 100-metre para-athlete, ran sixth in his final, while all five PNG weightlifters finished in the top eight in their events.
Geoffrey Loi won his two table tennis pool matches, which made him the only Pacific islander to progress into the main draw.