Kato Ottio facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Full name | Benkato Ottio | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 20 March 1994 Tatana Island, Papua New Guinea |
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| Died | 9 January 2018 (aged 23) Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea |
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Playing information
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| Height | 194 cm (6 ft 4 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 102 kg (16 st 1 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Wing, Centre, Second-row | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Kato Ottio was a talented rugby league player from Papua New Guinea. He was born on March 20, 1994, and sadly passed away on January 9, 2018. Kato was known for playing as a centre, wing, or second-row forward. He proudly represented his country, Papua New Guinea, in international matches, including the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.
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Early Life and Sports Beginnings
Kato Ottio grew up in the village of Tatana, which is close to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. Before he became a rugby league star, Kato was a skilled volleyball player.
He was part of Papua New Guinea's volleyball team that won a gold medal. This happened at the 2013 Pacific Mini Games held in Wallis and Futuna. He also played for a club team in the Philippines. After his success in volleyball, Kato decided to focus completely on rugby league. He started playing at an amateur level for a team called the Dobo Warriors.
Kato Ottio's Rugby League Journey
Starting His Professional Career
In October 2014, Kato Ottio played in a special match for the PNG Prime Minister's XIII team. His great performance led him to sign with the Papua New Guinea Hunters. This team plays in the Queensland Cup, a tough rugby league competition in Australia. Kato began playing for them in 2015.
He made his first appearance for the national team, known as the Kumuls, in May 2015. This game was against Fiji.
Playing for the Canberra Raiders
In February 2016, Kato signed a two-year contract with the Canberra Raiders. This is a well-known team in Australia's top rugby league competition. While with the Raiders, he played for their feeder team, the Mount Pritchard Mounties. They compete in the New South Wales Cup.
Kato had an amazing year in 2016. He scored 29 tries in 23 games, making him the top try-scorer in the New South Wales Rugby League. He was even named on the wing in the 2016 NSW Cup Team of the Year. After recovering from an injury, Kato was chosen to play for Papua New Guinea in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup in October 2017.
Joining the Widnes Vikings
In December 2017, Kato Ottio signed a contract with the Widnes Vikings. This team plays in the Super League, which is the highest level of rugby league in England.
International Matches for Papua New Guinea
Kato Ottio played six international matches for his country, Papua New Guinea. The national team is nicknamed the Kumuls. His first game was in May 2015 against Fiji on the Gold Coast in Australia.
A year later, he played against Fiji again and scored his first international try. This try happened at the Parramatta Stadium in Sydney. Kato was selected for the Kumuls squad for the 2017 World Cup. He played in all three of their group games, which were held in Port Moresby. He scored another try in the game against Wales. His final international match was a quarter-final game against England in Melbourne.
Kato Ottio's Passing
On January 7, 2018, Kato Ottio became unwell during a training session with the Papua New Guinea Hunters. Sadly, he passed away in the early hours of January 9, 2018. He was just 23 years old. Kato had been preparing to travel to the United Kingdom to join the Widnes Vikings team for their pre-season training.
His funeral was held on January 12 at the Sir John Guise Indoor Complex. Many people attended, including the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Peter O'Neill.
