PNG’S WUSHU ATHLETE RETURNS WITH THE SPORT’S FIRST MEDAL

Papua New Guinea’s lone representative to the Oceania International Invitational Wushu Championships, Tony Mitu Jr., returned home to Port Moresby on Monday (25/05/26) carrying the country’s first international medal in the sport of Wushu.

Mitu Jr. won bronze in the men’s 70kg Sanda division at the championships held in Brisbane, Australia, from May 21st to 25th.

The achievement marks a great milestone for the Kung Fu Wushu Association of Papua New Guinea (KFWA PNG), with the association celebrating the country’s first international medal in the sport.

KFWA PNG President Geoff Hui praised the athlete’s performance.

“This was his first international event, and also his first sanda competition and he came away with a medal, so we are really proud of him.”

Tony was welcomed home at Jacksons International Airport by family, supporters and coach Andrew Molen, who commended the athlete’s commitment and discipline throughout more than a year of preparation.

“Tony worked hard for over a year in training. We didn’t expect anything, we just wanted him to have the exposure and experience and use that to promote and build the sport in PNG, but now we have a medal so it’s a big motivation for us and I am very pleased.”

The team travelled to the championships without sponsorship or formal funding support, relying mainly on personal resources and assistance from friends, colleagues and family members.

Molen acknowledged the support provided by the Oceania Kung Fu Wushu Federation, Kung Fu Wushu Australia and High-Performance Sport PNG for specialist assistance during the campaign.

Following the successful result, KFWA PNG said it is now focused on recruiting and developing more athletes to represent Papua New Guinea at future international competitions.

The association is also appealing to corporate organisations and the government to support the development of Wushu programmes and athletes in the country.

KFWA PNG thanked supporters who followed the team’s journey throughout the championships and called for continued support for the growth of the sport in Papua New Guinea.