Category Archives: Oceania

During the Olympic Day celebrations held yesterday in Port Moresby, Leon Thomas of Oceania Fencing introduced the sport to students from different schools.

The Oceania region is considered as a development zone of fencing and Thomas believes that if they spread the word and generate more interest, the code can gain a following in other Oceania countries considering PNGs population, geography and influence in the region.

Thomas, who took part in four World Fencing Championships, was pleased with the interest shown by participants in Port Moresby.

Its great to see the interest from the kids here. Fencing has grown largely in Oceania countries like Samoa, New Caledonia and Tahiti but we want to target PNG because it has a large population and having fencing introduced and grown here could help it grow in Oceania, said Thomas.

Thomas explained that current fencers in Oceania qualify for the Olympics through Asia, but if the code grows in Oceania, then the region could have its own qualifying pathway to the Olympics.

Fencing was one of the original nine sports in the inaugural modern Olympic Games played in Athens, Greece in 1896.

It is one of only four sports that have been featured at every single Olympic competitions since 1896.

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PNG can help fencing grow in Oceania - Loop PNG

Ten of Otagos top athletes are preparing for a break from winter.

The athletes, plus two Otago coaches, are set to head to Suva, Fiji, and its mid-20degC weather.

There they will compete as part of the 56-strong New Zealand team at the Oceania Area Championships.

The group includes decathletes Felix McDonald and Cameron Miller, middle distance runner Nathan Hill, 400m and 800m runner Sam Gouverneur and thrower Hamish Mears.

It also includes Southland athletes Anton Schroeder and Liam Turner, who both attend Otago Boys High School.

Local coach Megan Gibbons will travel with the team and is responsible for helping the sprinters and hurdlers.

As well, para-athletes Anna Grimaldi, Holly Robinson and Jess Hamill will use the meeting as part of their preparation for Julys world championships.

Otagos Raylene Bates is the high performance manager of that group.The championships are a development meetingin which New Zealand athletes wear white singlets.

Such meetings help them on to the pathway to silver singlet meetings and, ultimately, world meetings, at which they wear black.

They allow youngsters to get a taste of international competition and compete in a different environment.

Aside from the para team, the Otago athletes attending are young, either at school or not long left. However, Gibbons felt they could go well and said it would be a good experience.

"I think theyll go OK. They do have medal chances, absolutely.

"There will be some challenges for them, like Felix and Cam are doing the combined events, so competing in a decathlon in 30-degree heat might be a bit of a challenge for them.

"But I think for the likes of Hamish and Anton and Nathan, its their first competition outside of New Zealand really, unless theyve been to Australian champs, so its sort of that next step up."

The heat represented a big challenge for Dunedin athletes coming from a cold winter, as did going into the competition out of season.

While the temperature was often a nice change, it was the humidity that Gibbons said could be hard to adapt to.

However, many of the group had been aqua jogging in the heated physio pool to try to simulate that.

The standard of competition varied.In some events, the standard could be high and competition for medals stiff, but others were at a lower level.

The championships begin on June 28 and go through to July 1.

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Otago athletes to face the heat in Oceania champs - Otago Daily Times

Four senior track and field athletes, who left the country yesterday, will be joined by U18 and U20 sprint and relay athletes tomorrow with the last lot of athletes to fly out on Sunday.

The U18 and U20 sprinters who are leaving for Fiji for the Oceania Championships tomorrow, travelled to Port Moresby, representing Kimbe, Rabaul, Manus and Lae.

The team met with the PNG high Performance Team yesterday, to go through a few things that athletes must know when traveling overseas, especially when representing the country.

Some of the things touched on and covered with the athletes were anti-doping processes, recovery after and during the competition, resilience and team building.

Traveling for the first tomorrow with the team will be Team Coach for U18 and U20 Sprints and relay team, Allan Akia, who believes the team has worked hard over the last few months in preparations for the Oceania Championships.

In Fiji, the competition categories will cover three groups, U18, U20 and the open division. Some of the events listed for the PNG side will cover 100m and 200m sprints, the 800m and 1500m races, and the relay race for both the Mens and Womens events.

Allan said he is happy with the selection of the team, based on their past and previous competition results. Athletes participating in the Oceania championships, may find themselves represent their respective provinces in the PNG Games, and the country at the Mini- Pacific Games.

Their Team Coach believes based on their home ground performances, theres a fair chance of at least bagging some medals.

Toea Wisil, dubbed the Pacific Sprint Queen will be travelling from Australia and joining the team in Fiji.

Wisil, whoholds the record in Oceania in the one hundred meter sprint, will be leading the PNG side and participating in her respective events.

Wisil will also be using the opportunity to train for international events.

All athletes will be closely monitored as they perform in front of the PNG athletics Union President, Tony Green.

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PNG Athletes Leave Country for Oceania Championships EMTV ... - EMTV Online

THE Oceania Athletics Association is anticipating a successful 2017 Oceania Athletics Championship which will be held at the ANZ Stadium in Suva next week.

Oceania Athletics Association president Geoff Gardner said they were expecting a record number of athletes to compete in the four-day competition.

"There are regional championship on the agenda where we have Melanesian Championship, Micronesian Championship and Polynesian Championship and this week during the seminar the member federations will be deciding where the championships will be hosted.

"Fiji may put their hand up for championship.

"Fiji is one of our biggest federations and they hosted the Melanesian Championship in Suva and they brought together the biggest area of championship and with a record of over 600 athletes competing in the championship."

He said the spectators would get to see the best athletes in the region compete.

"It is going to be a tremendous event and judging by the conduct of the Melanesian Games it was an outstanding success and I see no reason as why this is not going to match that and I am sure we are going to surpass that.

"We are encouraging many people to come and watch the athletics.

"There will be some of the best athletes in the Pacific who will be competing during the competition."

The competition will be held from Thursday.

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Oceania's best compete in Suva - Fiji Times

5 Feb 2017, 12:15 a.m.

There's icy glaciers waiting to cool you down.

If our sweltering summer has you fantasising about snow-capped mountains and icy glaciers, a look at what's on offer in the way of Alaska cruises this year might have a cooling effect.

Alaska's cruising season runs from late April to September and most mainstream cruise lines as well as some luxury and adventure lines send one or more ships there. The biggest operators are Princess Cruises, which has six ships in Alaska in 2017 and Holland America Line, which has seven. Other lines operating mid-size to large ships there are Carnival Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line.

Luxury lines sending smaller ships to Alaska, although not for the whole season, include Crystal Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Oceania, Seabourn and Silversea. And if you're after a more off-the-beaten-track experience, check out Lindblad Expeditions and UnCruise Adventures, whose much smaller vessels sail where the big ones can't go. So you'll have plenty of ships to choose from the question is, when is the best time to go?

For a start, the weather varies considerably. The peak months of the season, June to August, are the warmest with long hours of daylight, but they are also the wettest and most crowded it's not unusual for the popular ports along the Inside Passage to have up to six big ships in on the same day. However, summer is the best time for spotting bears.

Fares also vary according to when you go and are generally cheaper in late-April and May and September. For example, a seven-day round-trip Inside Passage cruise from Vancouver on HAL's Nieuw Amsterdam costs $1569 in April, $2109 in June and $1549 in September. The disadvantages of shoulder season cruises are cooler temperatures and in April to May, the possibility of late snowfalls however the Northern Lights are sometimes spotted in September and the autumn colours of the trees and tundra are quite spectacular.

While there is a host of highly attractive cruise-land packages that combine a cruise with rail trips and stays in wilderness lodges in Denali National Park, most Alaska cruise-only itineraries are between seven and 10 days and are one-way or round-trip from Vancouver or Seattle; or one-way between Vancouver or Seattle and Anchorage. These take in the Inside Passage, the magnificent sheltered waterway that's surrounded by steep mountain walls, massive glaciers, dramatic fjords and vast tracts of rainforest. Ships typically call at ports such as Juneau (Alaska's capital), Ketchikan, Haines and Skagway and spend a day cruising in Glacier Bay National Park.

NAME Jeffrey Jack, from St Vincent, living in Belgrade.

POSITION Hotel Manager, Windstar's Wind Spirit.

MY JOB is to make sure Windstar's culture and standards are displayed on every sailing we do. We are all about small-ship cruising, less travelled destinations and laid-back luxury. I am responsible for crew training and I lead the services team, working closely with the captain to provide these services to all our guests by setting the tone and creating a fun working environment in all departments.

A TYPICAL DAY starts about 5.30am with a walk around all areas to check they're ready to receive guests. I meet the chef and dining room manager to make sure all items for the day's menu are in place and whether we need to buy anything locally to add to the menus. The bridge team and I address issues that might affect guests during the day, for example whether we can open the marina platform or not (it depends on wind and sea conditions). Before lunch and dinner I join the chef for tastings and during service I chat with guests and invite those who are interested in star-gazing up to the bridge for an informal Q&A with the officers. And every day I Facetime my children.

FAVOURITE CRUISE MOMENT There are so many! When I first stepped onboard Wind Spirit I thought I'd died and gone to heaven! But meeting my wife on board Wind Surf is the standout.

FAVOURITE CRUISE PORT In French Polynesia, it's Fakarava, an unspoilt island we visit on our Tuamotu itinerary. Its reef system has been classified as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve so the diving is incredible. In Europe, I love Istanbul and Ephesus and hope the geopolitics improve so we can sail there again.

INSIDER TIPS If you love being at sea, take a Transatlantic crossing. There are sunrises and sunsets to die for seeing the green flash at sunset is often a highlight.

Take a photo of your luggage in case it gets lost at an airport much easier than trying to describe it to officials.

Revel in the glamour of the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and Monaco Grand Prix with Latitude 33's new fly/stay/cruise package. The 14-night trip features an all-inclusive cruise on board Silver Spirit from Barcelona to Rome and leaves Australia on May 19. After two nights at Raffles Dubai you fly to Barcelona for a night in the elegant El Palace before boarding Silver Spirit. The ship will be in Cannes for two days during the famous film festival but the highlight is spending the weekend in Monaco for The Grand Prix. Tickets to view the thrilling race are included in the fare. Other ports of call include Ste in France, Ajaccio in Corsica and Portofino and Livorno in Italy. Two nights at the historic Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese in Rome is a suitably grand finale to the trip. See latitude33.travel

Cruise Express' 15-night 'Journey to the Northern Lights' fly/cruise/tour itinerary traces the fjord-studded coastline of Norway north above the Arctic Circle all the way to the Russian border. The cruise tour offers the chance to witness the Aurora Borealis magical swirls of light that illuminate Norway's night sky in winter. The package includes two nights in Oslo with city tours, rail journeys to Voss and Bergen, 'Norway in a Nutshell' Flm Railway and fjord cruise, and a six-night cruise from Bergen to Kirkenes onboard Hurtigruten's 691-passenger ship, MS Kong Harald. At Kirkenes you stay at the SnowHotel, where the rooms are carved from ice, and take a dog sled ride through the forest, before returning to Oslo for a night and flying back to Australia. The tour departs on February 9, 2018; see cruiseexpress.com.au

For the first time, Silversea Cruises is offering Australian travellers complimentary flights to Europe for select voyages in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, departing from April to November 2017. The new program offers passengers a choice of the following flight options aboard an appropriate Emirates or Silversea partner airline flight added to their cruise: an economy class air round-trip from within Australia; an option to upgrade to business class for $4998 a person; or a credit of $1000 a person if the flight options are not used. All-inclusive cruise fares start from $4275, for Silver Spirit's eight-day cruise from Barcelona to Rome departing on November 3. Additional bonuses also apply when you book by February 28; see silversea.com

Take a Lindblad Expeditions voyage in 2018 at 2017 prices when you book by March 31, 2017. A 10-day Galapagos Islands cruise package includes two nights in Guayaquil, flights to the Galapagos, the seven-night cruise and all guided excursions. Fares start from $8700 for departures on select dates between January 1 and December 31, 2018. Phone Adventure World on 1300 295 049, see adventureworld.com

UTracks, a division of World Expeditions, is celebrating its 10th birthdayby offering 10 classic European trips at their original 2007 brochure price. One for cruise fans is France's Loire Valley Bike & Barge trip, which is on sale for $1490 until March 3. Phone 1300 303 368, see utracks.com

UNIWORLD Save $980 a person when you book the seven-night Enchanting Danube river cruise on SS Maria Theresa by February 28, 2017. Fares start at $3919 and include unlimited beverages on board and hosted excursions. The offer is available on select itineraries between Budapest and Passau from April to November 2017. Phone 1300 780 231, see uniworld.com

The story Ocean cruises: Cool down in Alaska with Crystal Cruises, Oceania Cruises and more first appeared on The Sydney Morning Herald.

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Ocean cruises: Cool down in Alaska with Crystal Cruises, Oceania ... - Great Lakes Advocate

The team of 24 male and 12 athletes is a very strong all-round team which will cover all disciplines of hurdles, long distance, jumps and throws in the open division as well as the traditionally strong PNG sprint and middle distance squad.

In addition to the open athletes, the team includes four junior girls and five junior boys.

The USA based contingent of Rellie Kaputin , Adrine Monagi , Poro Gahekave , Peniel Richard, Wesley Logorava, Robson Yinambe , Sharon Toako and Shirley Vunatup all come into the Championships off a successful season and will join Gold Coast based elite athletes Toea Wisil , Theo Piniau and Nazmie Lee Marai who are also all in peak form.

The Team officials are: Nola Peni (Manageress), Head Coach Dior Lowry (hurdles and throws) Coach Sprints and relays Allan Akia; Middle and LD coach Wilson Malana; with Phillip Newton Jumps multi events.

The bulk of the team will travel on the Air Niugini direct service on Sunday June 25 and a smaller group on Friday June 23.

The squad:

Dior Lowry (HC)

Group 1 (Hurdles, Throws)

Debono Paraka

Jaqueline Travertz

Sharon Toako

Raylyne Kanam

4x400m

Ephraim Lerkin

4*400m

Mowen Boino

Adrine Monagi

Phillip Newton (TM)

Group 2 (Jumps)

Rellie Kaputin

Roland Hure

4x100m (U20)

Robson Yinambe

Peniel Richard

Wilson Malana (AC)

Group 2 (Distance)

Poro Gahekave

Simbai Kaspar

Abel Siune

Kaminiel Matlaun

4x400m

Esther Simon

Tuna Tine

Martin Orovo

George Yamak

Allan Akia (AC)

Group 2 (Sprints & Relays)

Nelson Stone

4x100m

Theo Piniau

4x400m

Nazmie-Lee

4x100m

Emmanuel Wanga

4x400m

Damien Kotu

David Guka

Wesley Logorava

4x100m

Charles Livuan

4x100m

Toea Wisil

Letisha Pukaikia

4x100m U20

Lawrence Lamond

4x100m U20

Nancy Malamut

4x100m U20

Lyenne Nilmo

4x100m U20

Leeroy Kamau

4x100m U20

Leonie Beu

4x100m U20

Shirley Vunatup

4x400m

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Athletics PNG names squad for Oceania Championships - Loop PNG

International Association of Athletics federations (IAAF) President, Sebastian Coe in Suva on June 22, 2017. Photo: Ronald Kumar.

International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) president Lord Sebastian Coe arrived in the country yesterday to attend the Oceania Athletics Congress which will be held at the Grand Pacific Hotel today.

Visiting Fiji for the first time, Coe who set 12 world records during his athletics career is also pleased to be attending of the Oceania Athletics Championship which starts next Wednesday at the ANZ Stadium in Suva..

It is absolutely my first time to be in Fiji and I am very happy to be here for the Oceania Congress and Im also looking forward to the Oceania Athletics Championships next week,Coe said.

Tickets are available for $2 and $5 and I must say that is extremely a good value looking at the quality of around 600 athletes.

Coe shared on the agenda that will be discussed during the Oceania Athletics Congress.

It is very important for all sports particularly athletics as we have been through a very difficult period in our history,he said.

I like to think that everything on the agenda will move our sport forward.

There are mainly issues relating to events, competition, high performance, coaching etc.

There are qualification places up for grabs next week for World Championships in London.

I want to see continental and regional championships playing a very important role and as we look to see how we connect to the World Championships.

Oceania has delivered some great athletes like Valerie Adams, one of the finest female field competitors of all time.

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Coe Moving Athletics Forward - Fiji Sun Online

STU PIDDINGTON

Last updated17:38, June 22 2017

JOHN BISSET/FAIRFAX NZ

Sprinter athlete Anna Hayward is excited to be representing New Zealand for the first time.

South Canterbury sprinter athleteAnnaHayward is looking forward to her busy schedule at theOceania Area and Combined Events Championships in Fiji.

Hayward is set to run the 100m and 200m sprints plus the 400m in Suva.

"It is really exciting, I can't wait."

JOHN BISSET/FAIRFAX NZ

Winter training in all weather has been a hard slog for Anna Hayward, but she was rewarded with selection to the New Zealand team for the first time.

It the first time the 17-year-old has represented New Zealand.

She departs on Sunday with her first event on Thursday.

Hayward's busy schedule could even get more hectic if she is selected in relay team.

Athletics New Zealand has already invited her to join their expanded relay squad, which trains for major events.

Hayward has been doing athletics since was 10, but has really come to the fore over the past couple of seasons.

Her favoured event is the 400m.

"I like it as it is much more of a challenge, I am not sure why, but it is a hard race and it takes a bit to recover."

Hayward said she was not sure who she would be up against.

"There will be Australians and quite a few of the island nations represented."

Her goal is to put her best foot forward and look to lower her personal best times.

"I'm not sure of anyone else'stimes."

Hayward's selection came after putting in the hardworkoverthe winter, which she admitted at time had been quite tough inthe cold.

"Mylast competition was the beginning of April."

She was thankful to walker Alice Ritchie, who had at times trained with her.

Hayward's dedication however saw her pull out of the Craighead senior hockey team to concentrate on athletics.

"I wanted to giveit my full focus and didn't want to sustain an injury."

The Craighead runner wasone of 55 Kiwi athletes named to go butis the only one from South Canterbury attending the the five-day championships, which features senior, under-20 and under-18 competitions.

She has trained six days a week with on Fridays off.

Coach Grant Lord said Hayward was deserving of selection.

"She had worked really hard. It is also great she has been included in the wider New Zealand relay squad, a bit like Jacob Matson was a couple of years ago."

Lord said South Canterbury had a proud record when it came to young athletes going to Oceania.

"Anna has kept that going and I am she she will perform very well."

-Stuff

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Sprinter Anna Hayward set for Oceania championships - Timaru Herald

June 21, 2017

BOXING BY MARTIN LIRI

Papua New Guinea boxing team moves into the last week of preparations before they lace on their competition gloves for the Oceania Boxing championships in Gold Coast, Australia.

Assistant coach Mark Keto, who remained in Port Moresby, to ensure Bougainvillean Maxie Mangea (49kg) and Mekeos Andrew Aisaga (69kg), continued to train while their Australian visas were being processed, flew out last Friday together with team manager Dick Larry.

They joined the rest of the team which has been in Gold Coast, training under National coach Joe Aufa since early June.

Charles Keama (52kg), Beupu Noki (56kg), John Ume (64kg), who had valid Australian visas due to an earlier visit to Australia for the Sydney Kokoda Track Charity event in March this year, are the boxers who went ahead.

PNG Boxing Union president John Avira thanked Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited for supporting the team with uniforms and travelling bags so that the boxers were professionally attired.

The company is new to sponsoring sports teams, therefore we are very grateful to the board, management and staff of the Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited for their timely support, Avira said.

He also extended his appreciation to the PNG Olympic Committee under the leadership of secretary-general Auvita Rapilla and her deputy Andrew Lepani and the staff for their tireless efforts to provide funding and assist with other travel requirements.

The Oceania championships from June 26 to 28 which includes only men, is important for PNG boxings programs as it will provide the ideal opportunity for boxers to push their claims for higher level international competitions like next years Commonwealth Games.

Keama, the 2015 gold medalist, is the only boxer who has proven that he can mix it with the best in the Oceania region while the others in the team have shown the potential and need to convince national selectors they can continue to be part of the PNG elite squad.

Another proven boxer Olympian Thadius Katua could not join the team when ruled out due to an injury as he undergoes rehabilitation process for recovery.

PNG boxing is one of the sports nominated for the Mini Pacific Games in Port Vila, Vanuatu in December.

Unfortunately, women have not been included in the competition due to the lack of quality women boxers from the Pacific, the same reason they were not included in next weeks Oceania championships.

While these PNG boxers are the front-runners to spots for in mini games team, they would have to maintain their spots by winning their respective weight categories at the SP Brewery National Boxing Championships in Arawa in September.

Steve Hansen doesnt sound like a worried man, whatever Warren Gatland says. After the Lions beat the Maori All Blacks last week, Gatland said that Hansen was a little bit worried about how good the Lions might be.

It is so long since the All Blacks lost a Test at Eden Park that Maro Itoje was not even born the last time it happened

Inspired by his toughness on Wednesday night, Queensland have vowed to win next month's State of Origin decider for the retiring Johnathan Thurston.

Steve Hansen doesnt sound like a worried man, whatever Warren Gatland says. After the Lions beat the Maori All Blacks last week, Gatland said that Hansen was a little bit worried about how good the Lions might be.

It is so long since the All Blacks lost a Test at Eden Park that Maro Itoje was not even born the last time it happened

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PNG boxing team all set for Oceania C'ship - POST-COURIER

Porter Equipment to distribute Terex Trucks Generation 10 ADTs in New Zealand and Australia

TO gain a stronger foothold in Australia and New Zealand, Terex Trucks have partnered with New Zealand-based dealers Porter Group for the distribution of the Motherwell-based firms Generation 10 TA400 and TA300 articulated dumptrucks.

With new headquarters in Hamilton, Porter Group are expanding their operations with an enlarged fleet of machines to maintain their position as the largest dealer of rental and sales equipment for construction and associated industries in New Zealand.

The deal, which will allow Terex Trucks to strengthen their footprint in the Oceania region, will focus on Porter Groups sales arm, Porter Equipment.

Porter Equipment are delighted to represent Terex Trucks across Australia and New Zealand as we share their commitment to the brands success in the region, said Darren Ralph, general manager for sales and marketing at Porter Group.

Porter Equipment and Terex Trucks represent a formidable partnership in the supply and distribution of articulated dumptrucks. Terex Trucks have a strong pedigree in the design and manufacture of robust haulers, and Porter Equipment provide a distribution network in Oceania that dates back more than 70 years.

Today, Porter Group have almost 40 branches in Oceania and distribute a range of ADTs, excavators, wheel loaders, rock crushers, screens, conveyors, stackers, stockpilers and other equipment to a variety of industries, including construction, quarrying, recycling, landfill and road building.

In addition to equipment sales and rental, Porter Group have subsidiary divisions for the supply of spare parts, servicing and repairs, transport, haulage, crane and access equipment hire, and financing options, as well as bases in Australia, Papua New Guinea and the US.

Terex Trucks are excited to be part of this new journey of growth by partnering with Porter Group to serve the Australia and New Zealand markets, said Clement Cheong, sales and marketing director for the APAC region at Terex Trucks.

Porter Groups latest facility investment for their new headquarters in New Zealand is testament to the confidence they have in their business. The company is showing its customers that it has a commitment to continue providing the highest level of sales, parts, service, rental and financing solutions to the industry.

With their extensive network of more than 35 branches in these countries, and their excellent reputation in the market for providing a total solution, we are confident that Porter Group will bring the same success story to Terex Trucks.

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Terex Trucks team up with Porter Group in Oceania - Agg-Net (press release)