Sport: Team PNG have high hopes for home Pacific Games

Transcript

Papua New Guinea's athletes are embracing the high expectations on them to do well at the Pacific Games in Port Moresby.

PNG topped the medal count at the Pacific Mini Games two years ago.

Team PNG Chef de Mission Richard Kassman told Vinnie Wylie there is a lot of pressure to repeat that form on home soil but says he and the team of athletes see that as a positive.

RICHARD KASSMAN: Papua New Guinea topped the medal count when we last hosted the Games in 1991 and therefore there is a massive expectation that we will follow that. So there is tremendous expectation and, on top of that Vinnie, our government will have spent over 1.2 to 1.5 billion Kina on the facilities here so with that comes this overt expectation as well.

VINNIE WYLIE: There are less than two months to go. What is taking up your time now - what needs to be completed before the opening ceremony?

RK: My focus is really on our team preparation, on pulling our team together [and] supporting coaches and managers in their preparation [and] supporting athletes. The other thing is with our venues under construction here, because we're hosting the Games, that poses its own set of challenges. Athletes are training as best they can and then we're sending teams away for overseas competitions. This is the sort of thing that is just ensuring we're supporting them to optimise their performance. That keeps me awake from time to time.

VW: Does that have any concern for you that some of the athletes haven't had an ideal preparation or do you feel, in each of the cases where there has been disruption, satisfactory alternatives have been found?

RK: We knew this, we know this and we've got to make best on the school grounds that we participate in [and] on different field and courts and pools that we work in. We've really drilled this into our athletes, coaches and managers and accepted the fact that we're not going to have six months of testing out our own brand-spaning-new facilities. And our performances, Vinnie, at region events - our athletes are performing well and performing to expectation. There will be test events - let me assure you I'm hassling the venues committee and as soon as venues are ready we're in there.

VW: What do you think the team is capable of medal-wise? Where do you expect to do well or any surprises you think that might be up your sleeves?

RK: The favourites have to be the French in New Caledonia and Tahiti. Fiji are very strong as well. We'll be with those three countries and fighting until the closing ceremony basically. I'm looking to my track and field team, weightlifting, power-lifting [and] body-building, We've got some high profile swimmers and then in the fighting sports like taekwondo and weightlifting. I've got strong contenders in some of the team sports as well: rugby league nines, football - men's and women's - so right around the park - softball, cricket, we're strong in those team sports as well.