PNGOC Launches Sports Science Masterclass Series

The Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee in partnership with the Australian High Commission through its PacificAus Sports Program launched a two part Sports Science and Sports Medicine Masterclass series in Port Moresby commencing on Thursday May 19th. The masterclass series aims to build up the capacity of local sports science and sports medicine practitioners, in particular sports physiotherapists, sports doctors, rehabilitation therapists and strength and conditioning coaches, as part of its 2021-2024 Team PNG Performance Strategy, which is supported and funded by Kumul Consolidated Holdings Limited. All partners and practitioners share in Team PNG’s vision of consistent success on the international stage for all Team PNG athletes.

Secretary General of the Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee – Auvita Rapilla when officiating the opening of the masterclass series acknowledged and thanked the Australian High Commission for recognizing the critical gap in Sports Science and Sports Medicine in Papua New Guinea, and for funding the masterclass series. Rapilla added “Sports Science and Sports Medicine was an area identified from our recent Tokyo 2020 Olympics campaign where PNG lacked the experience and expertise, and this Sports Science Masterclass is the start of the journey towards raising that level to best practice in the world of sports science and sports medicine.”

Deputy High Commissioner Dr Joanne Loundes added “We recognise that behind sporting success is a whole ecosystem of professionals whose job it is to get athletes to the starting line, and keep them fit and healthy. High performance athletes are increasingly being asked to push their bodies faster, and harder, for longer so this sports science support is critical. Australia as a world leader in sports research is well placed to deliver this support to PNG”.

Photo: Participants and guests at the official launching of the Sports Science and Sports Medicine Masterclass at the Ela Beach Hotel on Thursday, May 19th 2022.

Part One of the Masterclass series focused on Sports Medicine, and was facilitated by Dr.Kapua Kapua, Dr.Ivan Ravu and Team PNG Chief Physiotherapist Matthew Natusch. Topics covered included first aid, sports taping, concussion and spinal injury management, injury diagnosis and current best practices. It was an opportunity to also outline the roles of sports doctors, sports physiotherapists, rehabilitation therapists and strength and conditioning coaches, in particular the roles required during games time, and when supporting national teams on international tours or competitions. Further discussions included sports science and sports medicine roles within high performance in sport.

The leading facilitators have been engaged as part of Team PNGs Sports Medicine team over the years, and were on hand to train and upskill the targeted sports science and sports medicine practitioners. The masterclass series was held over three days at the Coral Seas - Ela Beach Hotel in Port Moresby from May 19th – 21st with several physiotherapists going on to conduct practical sessions at the weekends rugby sevens tournament at the Sir Hubert Murray stadium on Saturday, May 21st.

Part Two of the Masterclass series commences this week with a key focus on strength and conditioning. International strength and conditioning experts from the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association (ASCA) will be in country to train and certify local practitioners. Targeted organisations for this training and collaboration includes the PNG Sports Foundation, the National Sporting Institute, and the High-Performance Sport PNG Unit.  Attendees from the respective organisations will undergo the internationally reknowned ASCA Level 1 and Level 2 certification courses.

The Sports Science and Sports Medicine Masterclass series is a significant investment for the future of Team PNGs games preparations, and participants are expected to continue to put into practice their learnings with Team PNG, National Federations, High Performance Sport, the National Sporting Institute, coaches and athletes.

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