PNG senators 'thrilled' by Kompaon Paralympics silver
Updated
![PNG sports minister Dame Carol Kidu says a silver medal win at the Beijing Paralympics has raised the issue of disability to a higher level. [AFP]](http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/img/news/base/png_carolkidu_afp_070707.jpg?<BR> "PNG sports minister Dame Carol Kidu says a silver medal win at the Beijing Paralympics has raised the issue of disability to a higher level. [AFP]")
PNG sports minister Dame Carol Kidu says a silver medal win at the Beijing Paralympics has raised the issue of disability to a higher level. [AFP]
Papua New Guinea's sports minister says Francis Kompaon's silver medal win at the Beijing Paralympic Games will force the country to acknowledge the issue of disability.
The only Pacific islander to take home a medal from Beijing, Kompaon will be picked up from the airport early Friday by Sports Minister Dame Carol Kidu and taken to lunch at parliament house, where he might meet Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare.
The 22-year-old from Rabaul won silver behind his friend and rival Australia's Heath Francis, in the men's 100 metre sprint.
Dame Carol told Radio Australia Sport it's taken a week for the news of Kompaon's win to spread.
"What he has done is raised the issue of disability in Papua New Guinea to a level that it has never been," Dame Carol said.
"We were in parliament today and a couple of our key ministers did not even realise that we had won the silver and they were stunned.
"They were thrilled and there was a commitment from the Prime Minister that any medals from the Olympic events would have some monetary recognition and the Treasurer has told me he will make sure that is honoured and hopefully it will be money not just for Francis but in developing that sports area.
"Our new sports policy is a very inclusive policy, and we really want to work hard to promote disability sports."
