Papua New Guinea weightlifter Dika Toua is confident of bringing home another medal from the Commonwealth Games.
Toua will be in action at the Games in the women's 53kg category at the NEC Arena in Birmingham, England.
Dika Toua Photo: NMPMG2022/Shivneel Narayan
Weightlifting will begin its competition on Saturday local time.
"My aim is to do my best and hopefully win a medal, that is the number one priority going into this competition," Toua, who win silver in 2018, told the Post Courier.
"Whether I win a silver or a gold medal, it doesn't matter, the biggest thing is winning and making my family and the nation proud of my achievement."
Toua and fellow lifter Morea Baru have being preparing under international coach Paul Coffa since February.
With her impressive performance at the Pacific Mini Games in Saipan, where she won three golds, and her induction into the weightlifting Hall of Fame, she has plenty of motivation to continue her stellar year.
Attending her sixth Commonwealth Games, the current Pacific Games champion feels she is ready to compete with some of the world's best lifters in Birmingham and win a fourth Games medal.
"I want to be able to show the hard work I've put on the platform," she said.
Toua's best international performance outside the Commonwealth Games was to place sixth in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
PNG Weightlifting Federation president Sir John Dawanicura said he had confidence in both Toua and Baru, who is competing in the men's 61kg category.
Dawanicura said both lifters are capable and can compete at such international level as they look to better that record in preparation for the Olympic Games in 2024.
Weightlifting has been good for PNG at the Commonwealth Games level - it won two golds in 2014 in Glasgow, and a gold and two silvers at the 2018 Gold Coast Games (Toua and Baru).
Team PNG told to inspire country
Team Papua New Guinea have been called upon to be symbols of hope and positivity for the country during the Games.
Chef de mission Michael Henao told the athletes, officials and management team about the importance of their campaign during a difficult time with the country riven by election and tribal related violence.
He said returning with good results could have a positive impact on the lives of Papua New Guineans.
"Our country is going through one of the most challenging general elections since Independence in 1975," Henao said.
"Yet you are here, having earned your spot in Team PNG, showing Papua New Guineans and the World about what we can achieve as a nation if we commit ourselves to hard work and strive for success."
Since arriving into Birmingham, Team PNG has hit the ground running, going straight into training.
Swimmers Ryan Maskelyne and Georgia-Leigh Vele were the last of the 33 athletes to join Team PNG.