WAVALA KALI – Athletics Profile
Wavala started his successful career at a very early age. In 1970 he was National Sub Junior (Under 17 years) Record Holder with a time of 50.8 seconds.
The following year, while still a Junior (Under 19 years), he finished third in the Senior Men’s 400m Championship.
In 1972 he really made his mark. Although still a Junior, he won the Senior Men’s 400m (49.5) and the Junior 100m and 200m titles.
Success followed in 1973 with a silver medal in the Senior Men’s 100m and taking the gold in both the Senior 200m and 400m. By the end of the year he was ranked #1 in the three sprint events (100m, 200m & 400m) and had broken Damien Midi’s National Record for the 400m with a time of 49.1 seconds.
During 1973 he competed in the Queensland Junior Athletics Championships, finishing in 3rd place in the 200m and 400m events. A short time later he was in Sydney for the Australian Junior Championships, where he won the bronze for the 400m. During this period Wavala stayed at the home of former world record holder, Albie Thomas, who was a good friend of Athletics PNG. It was Albie who paced John Kokinai to his national records in the 1972 Nationals in Rabaul.
Selected for the PNG Athletics Team for the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand, he spent some time in Sydney training with the St George Club prior to flying across the Tasman to New Zealand. In this era Athletics PNG had good links with clubs associated with the legendary Australian coach, Jack Pross.
In 1975 he continued with good domestic performances, but it was the South Pacific Games in Guam that was the highlight of his year. Wavala stormed through to a huge one second margin win over the Solomon Island’s Valentine Wale to record the excellent time of 48.91 seconds. It was a totally dominant display. He also competed in the 100m, 200m and the 4 x 400m Relay.
On Independence PNG was eligible to become part of the Olympic Family, and we participated in our first Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada. With the late Sam Piniau as the Team Manager, and the great distance duo of John Kokinai and Tau John Tokwepota, Wavala Kali had the honour of being the flag bearer for this historic occasion. He competed in the 200m and 400m events, with his 400m time of 48.85 breaking the National Record.
Three years later in the 1979 Suva South Pacific Games, Wavala participated yet again in his favourite 400m and in the 4 x 400m Relay.
Following Suva, his Athletics’ career came to an end. It was a career that spanned the entire 1970’s, starting as a Sub-Junior competitor and finishing as a highly respected Olympian.
Asked to reflect on the highlights of his career, Wavala did not hesitate to say the three stand-out moments were winning the gold medal for PNG at the 1975 SPG in Guam; carrying the PNG flag in the Opening Ceremony of the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal; and also at the Montreal Games, being invited to represent PNG at a reception on board the Royal Yacht Britannia, where he met Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, and Prince Andrew.
(The accompanying photos are -
#1 Taken in Sydney prior to the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch,
and #2 taken of Wavala at his place of employment where he is the Officer in Charge of Primary Education in the PNG Education Institute).
Last Modified on 08/08/2015 12:46