Pacific Games

The teams are warming up on the court.

Ranked 5th in the Pacific, PNG will be hoping to get much support from their home crowd to help them grab a win.

The BSP Arena is 80 percent full with PNG supporters.

In other results today, Fiji defeated New Caledonia 29-12 and Solomon Islands lost to American Samoa 80-44.

PNG found themselves behind with the Cooks scoring the first points.

PNG fought back to level up but the Cooks look the stronger side and are dominating possession.

The visiting team showed class in the close encounter but with the home crowd on their side PNG fought hard in the first and second quarter.

In the first quarter, New Caledonia took the lead 17-15.

In the second quarter, the combination of brothers James and Allan Wright helped PNG level the score at half time 38-38.

New Caledonia fought back in the second quarter with great three points shots from Stephane Saminadin put New Caledonia in the lead 60-52 at the third quarter break.

Also arriving is Nelson Stone, the 400m men’s champion of the South Pacific.

Both were among 30 overseas based PNG athletes who arrived after midday today in Port Moresby.

They were met on arrival at the Port Moresby International Airport by PNG Chef de Mission, Richard Kassman.

Wisil who lives and trains in the United States said she is happy to be running on home soil to defend her title.

But she is not taking her rivals from New Caledonia, Tahiti and Fiji for granted.

“I am in great form and looking forward to the tracks,” she told LOOP PNG.

Chief Executive Officer Henry Mokono says Eda Ranu standards are never compromised.

Eda Ranu is responding to concerns for safe drinking water by the Fiji delegation here for the Pacific Games.

The Fiji team sent an SOS this week to its major sponsor "Fiji Water" to supply the team with drinking water.

Fiji Times reported it's contingent had to boil water when safe drinking water became a concern for its athletes.

Mokono says Eda Ranu provides a world class product which adheres to World Health organisation drinking water standards.

Media representatives with games passes will be allowed into the games.

Those who don't have passes will be turned away.

PNG Loop visited the games venues this morning for a wrap up of what is happening and was told by the securitiesat the gate.

Meanwhile most Pacific Island countries have arrived in the country for the challenge during the games.

The opening ceremony will be on Saturday July 4, 2015 at BSP stadium in Port Moresby.

Greeted by a 21 gun salute, he was received by Acting Governor General and Parliament speaker Theodore Zurenuoc, foreign affairs Minister Rimbink Pato, Sports and Pacific Games Minister Justin Tkatchenko, NCD Governor Powes Parkop and other government dignitaries.

In a short ceremony, the Duke inspected the guard of honor before heading to the Airways hotel.

The prince is here on invitation by the PNG government to open the XV Pacific Games on Saturday July 4th.

The golden girl of PNG weightlifting arrived back in the country this afternoon from New Caledonia after spending the last three months training at the Weightlifting Institute there.

Toua will be competing in the 53kg weight division and said she is “definitely going for gold” but expects a strong challenge from Australia and New Zealand female weightlifters.

“I will be doing my best and let the result come.”

According to the national federation, they do not want their athletes to worry about raising money but concentrate on performance only.

Each athlete was levied $1650 and sports such as touch rugby did not make the cut while volleyball was rescued in the last minute.

Athletics Fiji development officer Joseph Rodan Junior explained was hey did it.

“In the era or amateurism that most minor sports fall under, the biggest challenge for any federation is financial support.

Tabakaucoro has to run in nine events over five days and this includes the heats of the 100m, the 200m and the 4x100m.

He never has had to run these many races over a continuous five day period but the man who all will be watching in PNG is ready.

“This is the first time I will be competing over five days, maximum I have done is three days. With extra days, I really have to be running smart in all my races," he said.