PNG’s sporting heroes

Other sporting icons with a connection to the tiny country.

A boy from the village of Hanuabada bats during a game of cricket in the streets in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Chris Hyde / Getty Images

Papua New Guinea may not get much recognition for its achievements in sport but it has given the world one of its finest rugby players – and even an Ashes winner in cricket.

Will Genia

(rugby union)

Born in Port Moresby, he and his family used to fish and hunt for their dinner when they lived in a village outside the nation’s capital.

Genia had never played team sport before he arrived in Brisbane as he used to attend church on Sunday, which is when sport is played. His first sporting hero was Steve Waugh, the cricketer, but Genia clearly did not take too long to get to grips with rugby union. He is now one of the most respected scrum-halves in the game.

Stanley Gene

(rugby league)

Almost certainly PNG’s most celebrated sportsman, Gene is also well known beyond his country’s borders in rugby’s 13-man code.

Having caught the eye for PNG at the 1995 Rugby League World Cup, he earned a transfer to the UK’s Super League where he remains. After a 14-year playing career at some of England’s biggest clubs, he coaches in the north of the country. All the while, he continued to represent his country in the international game.

Geraint Jones

(cricket)

The wicketkeeper has been playing for PNG for the past two years, having previously hit great heights with England. Jones was an Ashes winner with his adopted homeland in 2005.

He was born in Kundiawa in PNG, grew up in Australia, moved to Wales then ended up playing for England.

He has a pidgin nickname which translates as “Son of Chimbu”, the highland province where he was born and lived for the first six years of his life.

– Paul Radley