A total of 24 talented athletes have been training rigorously for a spot on the Papua New Guinea (PNG) national netball team, the PNG Pepes. With only 15 positions available, the competition is fierce as athletes vie to represent their country internationally.
The Netball PNG has been working diligently in an intensive training camp to identify the best 15 players for the upcoming Pacific Games. The camp, which began on Friday, has concluded today.
Among the current 24 athletes on the train-on squad, only 15 will make the final cut. With the stakes high, each player pushes themselves to their limits, showcasing their skills and determination to secure a spot.
Adding to the excitement are 15 Australia-based athletes who flew in and joined the train-on squad ranks, bringing a fresh wave of talent and diversity to the team. Including these girls demonstrates Netball's dedication to cultivating the next generation of netball stars.
“We did a first cut in July and from that, we had 15 girls from Australia and 11 from here (PNG). Today the all came here so we could do our final selection. We will p ck out the top 15 that will be going to the Pacific Games," said Head Coach Annie Iamo.
The top 15 sets will also participate in the Singapore netball tournament in October before the Pacific games, where they will face tough competition from other netball powerhouses in preparation for the upcoming Pacific Games in November.
"The girls over here have been training fiercely. For the o es in Australia, they were having their competitions as well and my Assistant coach in Australia has been also organizing them to meet and do pieces of training," said Head Coach Iamo.
The girls from Australia are a part of the national netball squad. The thirteen PNG girls were the top-performing players from the PNG Netball Associations: Port Moresby, Motu-Koita (Hanuabada), Abau, and Rigo.
In consultation with the selectors, the coaching staff will carefully assess each player's performance throughout the training camp before making their decisions. According to Iamo, the final selections for the PNG Pepes squad will be made based on various selection factors such as their netball skills and fitness.
"We are going to look at their fitness and then we will watch them play and look at their skill level. As we hav 15 from Australia and 11 from here, we will compare their performances and make a selection. We want twomen's pick the best players and we are doing our best as we can," said Iamo.
As the train-on camp ends, the anticipation and excitement among the athletes and the netball community are palpable. The final PNG Pepes will be revealed soon, and the chosen players will begin their journey towards achieving greatness in netball."Stay tuned for the official announcement of the PNG Pepes squad and follow their journey as they take on the best in the sport.
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