The majority of the near nine million population live within their own indigenous communities, celebrating unique cultures and traditions.

Only around 13 per cent live in towns and cities, but everyone can find a common language in sport.

In 2015, capital city Port Moresby hosted the Pacific Games and Papua New Guinea had a great time, topping the medal table with 88 golds.

They were the leading team at last month's Pacific Mini Games in Saipan as well, finishing first with 33 golds, so will head to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in good spirits.

"As diverse as we are, Papua New Guineans understand, embrace and celebrate the concept of family," said Michael Henao, the team's Chef de Mission for Birmingham.

"And the Commonwealth Games are like being part of a large family."

Papua New Guinea will be taking 33 athletes to Birmingham 2022 in six sports - athletics, boxing, squash, swimming, table tennis and weightlifting.

Athletes to watch include Dika Toua and Morea Baru in weightlifting and Geoffrey Loi and Tammy Agari in table tennis.

Long jumper Rellie Kaputin and sprinter Toea Wisil will hope to leave their mark in athletics.

Toua boasts three medals from the Commonwealth Games, including the 53 kilograms gold from Glasgow 2014 which was upgraded from silver following a doping disqualification.

She won silver at Melbourne 2006 and Gold Coast 2018, so has finished second on the day at three different Games.

Baru won 62kg silver in Gold Coast as Papua New Guinea finished the event in Australia four years ago with a gold and two silvers.

The gold was won by weightlifter Steven Kari, who defended the 94kg title he claimed in Glasgow.

Kari has now stopped his training, although Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee (PNGOC) President Sir John Dawanincura said the door was still open for him earlier this year.

"We're pleased to announce that the athletes from the six sports are hard in training," said Henao, an PNGOC Executive Committee member.

"Twenty of these athletes returned from the Pacific Mini Games in the Northern Marianas on June 25.

"We are excited that a total of 22 young PNG athletes will debut when they compete in the 20th edition of the Commonwealth Games later this month.

"This will be PNG's 15th Commonwealth Games since we joined the movement in 1961 under the territory of Papua and New Guinea.

"We are pleased that we have a balanced team with experience from our elite athletes and a pool of young ones who will be debuting in the Games."

Papua New Guinea has won five gold medals in its Commonwealth Games history.

The first came courtesy of lawn bowler Geua Tau in Auckland in 1990, while swimmer Ryan Pini, the undoubted star of the home Pacific Games in 2015 thanks to a remarkable seven gold medals, claimed the 100m butterfly title at Melbourne 2006.

"The Commonwealth Games has enabled us to dream big and to achieve bigger, all in pursuit of our nation-building aspirations," Henao, who chairs PNGOC's Fundraising Committee, said.

"The Commonwealth Games are integral to our human development."

Papua New Guinea received a funding boost earlier this month when sponsor Trukai Industries Limited donated PGK344,000 (£81,500/$98,000/€96,000).

The cash came from the sale of this year's Trukai Fun Run t-shirts and is part of the company's annual sponsorship of the PNGOC.

This was followed by a donation of PGK625,000 (£148,000/$177,000/€174,000) from the Government, through the PNG Sports Foundation.

In January, more than 80 people acted as batonbearers as the Queen's Baton Relay visited the country.

After a traditional welcome, the baton was taken to the tomb of Sir Michael Somare, the first Papua New Guinea Prime Minister who is known as the "father of the nation".

His son, also called Michael, was a batonbearer on this part of the route, while the Relay also visited a stilted village after arriving by plane and landing on the river.

Other highlights included a visit to spirit houses, where community ancestors are said to visit and offer spiritual advice.

Papua New Guinea will like to think that people from both past and present will be behind their team in Birmingham.

"When Toea Wisil takes her mark, when Morea Baru grabs the bar, when Rellie Kaputin takes that jump - all of us are there too," said Henao, who is the chairman of the Digicel PNG Foundation.

"Running, lifting and jumping with them. 

"That's what the Commonwealth Games means to Papua New Guineans - the ability to do just that, and more."