ExRx.net

Women's Netball
PNG 21
New Zealand 102

Men's Squash
RUCKLINGER Michael (PNG), 0
SELBY Daryl (ENG) 3

Women's Squash
STUBBINGS Barbara (PNG) 2
COWIE Jeannine (JEY) 3

Weightlifting, 48kg women
1st NWAOKOLO Augustina Nkem (Nigeria) Sn 77, CG 98
7th HARE Kathleen (PNG) Sn 64, CG 83
This snatch is a PR for Kathleen by 1 kg, the C&G is a new PR by 3 kg.

We're not a very big country, and not a threat in any sport. But look at this girl, going half-way around the world and setting PRs in both lifts. Pretty successful in my thinking.

Netball is new to me, so like all new things it seems pretty strange, mostly because it looks so much like basketball, but no backboards, no dribbling, no aggressive blocking, but add in a goalkeeper.

PNG led the Cook Islands until the last minutes, then lost 62-58. Rats.

OK, so PNG's participation in the Commonwealth Games isn't the most exciting news, but swimmer Ryan Pini has taken Silver in men's 100M butterfly. His time of 52.50 is better than his Gold Medal time in the 2006 CW Games. He swam against Michael Phelps in the finals of this event at the 2008 Olympics, the first PNG athlete to make it to a final round in the Olympic swimming competition.

His is the only medal so far in the current games.

OK. One last comment about the C Games, until 2014.

PNG only got the one medal, silver in men's butterfly by Ryan Pini.

But there was one other performance that I think is noteworthy, partly because I know the runner, even treated her once. There is a little girl (well, an older teenager by now, but when I treated her she was about 14 and very small), named Toea Wisil, from Banz, about 20 minutes from where I live. She is officially the 4th place in the women's 200 m. She finished 6th in the race, but 2 other women were DQd, one for leaving her lane, one for drugs.

Anyway, for a little country with very little in the way of a national sports organization, and no training facilities, we're not doing too badly.

Doc, congratulations to your country.

I know here in Canada the media attention has been underwhelming. Except for your posts I would have forgotten about the games. It's depressing to look at Canada's performance, especially compared with Australia and India. If Canada had a proper sports program we would do much better. I suppose we could blame it on the lack of rowing sports. Canada seems to do better on the water, as opposed to in the water.