Oil Search Pacific Games Relay in Porgera, Enga Province
The team started the day with another sunrise drive through the Lai valley as the fog and mist lifted and merged with the smoke from the village huts.
The Baton left by helicopter from the roof of the Ipatas centre for a morning at the Porgera gold mine with its workers.The Baton is no stranger to mine sites now and took in the haul trucks, the camp sites and the different operating sections.
The Baton was run by Barrick worker David Kaik, a silver medallist and middle, distance runner, at the 1991 Pacific Games.
From there the Relay visited the old Porgera Station where thousands gathered around the former airstrip, now market place, to get a touch of the Baton.
Into Paiam and the crowds were even larger, with the team struggling to maintain control as the school children, in particular, got very excited and crowded in.
Enga co-ordinator Jack Imbu spoke of how the Relay had now entered the golden valley of Papua New Guinea and this would help Team Papua New Guinea win more gold as the kids on the side of the roads chanted “PNG heroes, Go For Gold”.
On the drive back to Surinki, the Relay team passed many schools who were all lined up along the road, some with posters of support for Team Papua New Guinea and the Relay and others with Papua New Guinea and provincial homemade flags, creating a really colourful display of support.
The Relay heads up into Wabag for a town Relay today.
Image credit: madNESS photography
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