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Rodney siblings, Wilma, 22, and Samantha, 23, are both vying to make the Team PNG Karate squad for the 2023 Pacific Games in Solomon Islands.
The siblings hail from Morobe and East Sepik provinces. Samantha gained an interest for the sport in 2015 after seeing her sister Samantha, who was involved in the sport first.
They said their mother used to play the sport and so the elder sister Samantha followed in her mother’s footsteps.
After some years the younger sibling Wilma also took an interest in Karate and now joins her sister to carry on the legacy.
We train at 3-mile in Lae. My sister’s coach usually trains her and I accompany her to watch her train and that is how I got involved in Karate.
Wilma Rodney
The younger sibling does Shito-ryu and Kata Karate styles while her sister does Kata and Kumite.
Both do Karate in the 60kg, 68kg and open weight divisions.
Wilma and Samantha participated in the 2017 PNG Games in Kimbe where Wilma won silver in the open weight and their team came first place.
Samantha said she was really happy to travel with her sister for the national championships in Port Moresby and they both hope to make the final squad.
She said traveling with her sister to another province to represent Morobe for the second time makes her happy and making the squad with her would be a dream come true for both sisters, who have always dreamed of representing the country in Karate.
She thanked her coaches, parents and team Morobe for making the trip possible for her and her sister.
Thank you to those who helped us buy our tickets to come here to participate and to those who are accommodating us as well.
Rodney siblings
My sister and I only came on a one way ticket for this championships; we found our own way here with the help of our parents, and at the moment, we don’t know how we will go back after the championships; we will stay with our friends and family until whenever our parents buy our ticket to go back.
If there’s anyone who is willing to help the siblings go back to Lae, it would be much appreciated as they are here not just making their own name but representing the province as well.
