TOKYO, 02 AUGUST 2021 --- The Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee (PNGOC) celebrates its 60th anniversary today.  

‘It’s a great honour to celebrate the PNGOC’s 60th birthday,’ said Robin Mitchell, the President of the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC).

Speaking at a small, intimate mid-morning tea celebration on the sides of the Tokyo Olympics given the current COVID-19 pandemic, Mitchell said, ‘Congratulations to all the sportspeople, past and present, and all sport federations in taking the PNG Olympic Committee to where they are at the moment.’ 

In a point of reflection, he added that soon after establishment, ‘we had the South Pacific Games in Suva and PNG came with a very strong team and that was the start of a long association of sport.’ 

The PNGOC was established in 1961 and participated in the first edition of the South Pacific Games in Suva in 1963. 

The games are now known as the Pacific Games.

Also at the anniversary celebrations, ONOC Secretary-General Rick Blas said he was pleased to be at the event and paid tribute to long-time PNG sporting leader and current President of the PNGOC - Sir John Dawanincura.

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Blas said, ‘Not all members of the PNG Olympic team are here, especially Sir John Dawanincura who has been part of that long history of PNG sports but we’re thinking of him.

‘Congratulations to the sporting community in Papua New Guinea and a job well done’.

Blas also thanked Auvita Rapilla, the PNGOC Secretary-General and her team on the milestone.

The celebration was also attended by International Olympic Committee (IOC) Member Sarah Walker (NZL) who said that, ‘It’s been a real pleasure working alongside PNG’ because ‘they’re always actively contributing.’

Walker said, ‘Massive congratulations to the Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee for the 60 years.

‘To me, it's surprising that they're so young because they're so involved in this, so they contribute massively to the Olympic movement in Oceania and in the world.  

The PNGOC was established in 1961 - fourteen years before the country gained independence.

To find out more about the Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee, please visit the PNGOC page on our website.