After the completion of competition, Team PNG athletes had a Sustainable Development Goal information session in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, organised by the Former Barramundis Captain and AIMAG2017 Team PNG General Manager Chris Amini.
Amini is also one of the five former national representatives who have volunteered to be ambassadors of one of the 17 sustainable development goals each.
The other SDG ambassadors are Milton Kisapai, a former national representative in the sport of hockey, Tania Mairi Mahuru in Shooting, Lua Rikis from netball who is also the current Pepes captain and swimming’s Ryan Pini. While introducing the concept of using sports personalities as a vehicle for creating awareness in communities, Amini encouraged all athlete’s present to put their hands up and make a change.
This initiative was introduced by the United Nations, whose long-standing relationship with the International Olympics Committee is the main factor that brought it down to National Olympics Committee level.
Papua New Guinea is the first NOC to take it up, with former athletes’ involvement.
During the session, the athletes learnt the importance of some of the goals such as the need for Quality Education, Good Health and Wellbeing, Gender Equality, etc. The eye-opening session had athletes sharing what some of these goals mean to them.
“With rights, comes responsibilities, and as sports persons, we have the responsibility to make a change at community level,” Amini reminded them.
