PNG dominate tracks as Wisil wins Pacific sprint title in thrilling 100m final at Pacific Mini Games

In a nail-biting finish, Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) Pais Wisil clinched the much-anticipated men’s 100m final at the Pacific Mini Games, edging out his teammate, Timothy Tuna, by a mere 2/100ths of a second on Saturday evening at Koror.

The race, which took place in the challenging conditions of a heavy downpour, had the crowd on the edge of their seats as the two PNG sprinters battled it out for the title of Pacific Sprint King.

Despite the rain-soaked track that made conditions less than ideal for fast times, the focus was solely on who would take the prestigious title. Wisil crossed the line in 10.51 seconds, narrowly defeating Tuna, who clocked 10.53. Fiji’s Waiseka Tewa claimed the third spot with a time of 10.60. This victory capped off a remarkable day for PNG, who collected a total of 13 medals, including 4 golds, 6 silvers, and 3 bronzes.

In the women’s 800m, Scholastica Herman delivered a dominant performance, taking the gold in a time of 2 minutes 16 seconds, outpacing her competitors in a field of 11 athletes. The men’s 800m race was another highlight of the day, with pre-race favorite Adolf Kauba setting the early pace, closely tracked by Solomon Islands’ Stephen Rahuasi and PNG’s Jiuteis Robinson.

With just 70 meters to go, Robinson made a spectacular surge, crossing the line with a powerful finish in a personal best time of 1 minute 52.56 seconds to take the gold, leaving Rahuasi and Kauba to settle for silver and bronze, respectively.

In the wheelchair 100m event, PNG’s Morea Mararos seized gold, while his teammate Jerome Bunge claimed silver. Other notable performances for PNG included silver medals from Karo Iga in the Octathlon, Raylyne Kanam in the Heptathlon, Regina Edward in the Para Javelin, and Isila Apkup in the 100m.

As the weekend drew to a close, attention has turned to today’s events, which promise even more excitement. The finals of the 400m, 100m/110m hurdles, 5000m, and the 4x100m relay are all scheduled for the day.

PNG looks set for another strong showing, particularly in the men’s 400m, where seasoned runner Daniel Baul will face off against rising star Adolf Kauba. The men’s 200m qualifiers will also take place, with Timothy Tuna hoping to continue his sensational form after a remarkable performance in the USA earlier this year.

The final day of competition is shaping up to be another thrilling chapter for PNG athletes, with the country’s hopes pinned on more podium finishes in the upcoming races.