By HENRY MORABANG
TWO Kokopo School Soccer teams in East New Britain province will fly the Papua New Guinea flag during the 2008 National Australian Futsal championship in Canberra, Australia, next week.
The team flew out of Port Moresby yesterday for the week-long tournament.
Hosted by Capital Football – Futsal in conjunction with Football Federation Australia, the tournament is by far the biggest national football tournament in Australia, attracting up to 2,000 competitors from Australian states, territories and several island countries within Oceania region.
The tournament will run from January 7 to 11.
Kokopo School Soccer director Mary Manhi said they have been given approval by the Papua New Guinea Football Association to attend the tournament as the invitation was directed to PNGFA.
Manhi said the four regions were invited but Kokopo were the only ones to respond as they got a good junior development programme in place.
Kokopo will be fielding two teams – in the Under 13 and the Under 15. The Under 13 is made up of players who took part in the last Under 12 OFC Futsal Tournament in Port Moresby while the Under 15 comprises upcoming junior players.
Manhi said the players came up through the development programme funded by Tropical Island Plants (TIP) which is the major financier of school soccer in Kokopo.
She also thanked Warangoi Properties Limited (WPL) for sponsoring the trip for the 16 boys who will take part in the tournament.
She said WPL have set the foundation in supporting junior sports in East New Britain.
Manhi said the Australian hosts have waived the nomination fee to allow teams travelling all the way from PNG to take part in the heart of Australia.