PNG’s leading swimmer Ryan Pini has started a ‘Digicel Gold Rush” for Team PNG and earned himself K3000 in cash, from Major sponsor Digicel, after taking gold medals in the 200 metre freestyle and 100 metre butterfly this afternoon.

The Digicel Go for Gold incentive program will see each Gold Medal winning athlete receive a payment of K1500 per individual Gold, with Teams that achieve the highest honour sharing a K3000 payment.  This could mean a payment of up to K12,000 for Ryan who took home a remarkable eight golds at the Pacific Games in Samoa in 2007.

Also winning a medal for PNG was Anna Lisa Mopio who took bronze in the 200m backstroke

Digicel PNG CEO John Mangos; “Congrats to Ryan and Anna Lisa on leading the way for Team PNG, I have no doubt these are only the first two of a gold rush and we look forward to rewarding Ryan and the other Team PNG heroes on their return. Keep it up guys, PNG is proud of you.”

With the largest travelling Team PNG in history of 340 plus athletes across 24 sports and with the added incentive of the Digicel Go for Gold intuitive, Team PNG will be looking to surpass its 38 Gold Medal haul achieved at the 2007 Pacific Games in Samoa, which placed PNG in fifth place in the medal table.

Digicel has also launched a service to allow supporters, family and friends send their best wishes and messages of support directly to Team PNG HQ in New Caledonia by simply sending an SMS to 16PNG (16764) for just 10t. Family members can sign up for a daily news alert which will allow Papua New Guineans right across the country share in the achievements, results and news from the Games.  To subscribe for the Team PNG News Alerts, Digicel users should send “News” to 16441* for 10t an SMS received.

ENDS