Long time Athletics Coach Naomi Polum has won the inaugural Oceania Athletic Association Womens Award based on her very significant contribution to the Sport over a period of 50 years. The decision was announced during the Association’s Congress Meeting on the Gold Coast last weekend. Athletics PNG President Tony Green collected the award on behalf of Polum who now goes forward with the winners of each of the other five Continental Area awards to the Final in August. The winner of the IAAF Women in Athletics Award will be announced during the IAAF Congress in Beijing in August this year.
“I was very proud to accept the Award on behalf of Naomi” said Green. “This is a thoroughly well deserved award which Naomi won against strong competition from Australia and the Pacific islands. Naomi will be invited to attend the Congress in Beijing in August and we wish her every success as her name now goes forward to the panel of judges who will determine the World Winner.”
The key business of the IAAF Congress will be the election of a new President and Council for the next four years. Lord Sebastian Coe will be standing for the Presidency as will Sergey Bubka of Ukraine, the former world record holder in the Pole Vault. Coe attended the Oceania Congress last weekend and pledged to make time in his busy schedule next year to visit PNG. The man who spearheaded London’s bid for the 2012 Olympics and then Chaired the Organising Committee ofa hugely successful Games was expected to visit PNG for the Pacific Games but a clash with the IAAF World Youth Championships in Columbia made that impossible,
The Oceania Congress elected its new Council at the Gold Coast last weekend. Geoff Gardner of Norfolk Island was re elected unopposed as President. Micronesia succeeded in getting all its three candidates elected to Council whereas all three Melanesian nominees including Albert Miller (Fiji) and Tony Green were unsuccessful. Other news from the meeting was the decision to re introduce the Melanesian Championships next year with Fiji hosting the event in July.
Last Modified on 24/02/2015 18:44