Papua New Guinea joined the I.A.A.F. in 1961 and the Papua New Guinea Amateur Athletic Union was formed. The foundation associations were Port Moresby, Gazelle, New Ireland and Morobe. In the next twelve years, they were joined by Madang, Goroka, Western Highlands and Daru.
The early competition was domestic with the first National Championships held in Lae in 1962. At that meet there were only events for men, women having to wait until the 1963 National Championships that were held in Rabaul.
The first opportunity to compete overseas came in 1962 with the Empire Games, held in Perth, Western Australia. Initially, there were very few opportunities to compete overseas, but as the decades progressed many more chances emerged.
In addition to all of the above, PNG athletes have participated in a great variety of international competitions - World Student Games, Pacific School Games, Australian Schools’ Championships, Australian Youth Olympic Festival, Oceania Veteran/Masters Championships, many different National and State Championships, Cross Country Championships and International Invitational Meets
Many PNG athletes have also lived for an extended period of time in either Australia or the USA. Outstanding performances made in regular competition in those countries are recognised in the All Time Best Lists, which rank the best performances by PNG athletes from 1962 to the present.
What follows is a summary of the main international competitions in which PNG athletes participated.
Last Modified on 25/12/2011 12:04