PAPUA New Guinea’s emerging sprinter Joy Tieba has secured a two-year scholarship at the Neosho Community College in Kansas under the Oceania Australia Foundation Scholarship Programme.

Based in Goroka, Eastern Highlands, the 21-year old from East New Britain and Northern (Oro) has been part of the National Sports Institute (NSI) athlete development programme in recent years.

She has already represented PNG at the 2024 Oceania Athletics Championship in Fiji and the 2025 Pacific Mini Games in Koror, Palau medaling in the sprint events.

In conjunction with Junior Colleges in the USA, the Foundation have been providing full scholarships to Pacific Island athletes for many years.

Tieba is the newest member to this scholarship program after former PNG elite recipients; Sharon Kwarula , Wala Gime , Cecilia Kumalalamene,  Theo Piniau , John Rivan , Benjamin Aliel and Roland Hure.

Joy had her first taste of indoor competition during the weekend, only four days after arriving in Kansas.

She ran in Maryville-Missouri and clocked an impressive 60.62 seconds in the 400m event.