| Sports |
Where have all the
crocs gone?
JACK METTA laments
the disappearance of the crocodile from the rep scene
In Port Moresby, there are people who
follow animals. Nothing unusual in that as in folklore and
tradition, animals have always figured prominently in almost
everyone’s life since time immemorial.
The mystique surrounding animals go back in time to the days of
our ancestors, who held animals and birds in high esteem because
of the important role animals played in the livelihood of our
people and the cycle of survival.
They weren’t just good for eating. They, or more precisely parts
of them, figured prominently in social and economic situations and
continue to do so today, even more prominently in the recreation
and field diversion sector.
One of these animals is the prehistoric creature known as the
crocodile or croc for short.
The crocodile has its circle of human following, the numbers
sometimes rising to thousands during peak season.
In today’s contemporary society, many are involved in or have
heard much about pastimes such as bird watching and butterfly
watching. The list goes on but crocodile watching is probably
something most have never heard of.
However, among a certain sector of our society, crocodile watching
is an activity that takes precedence over any other human activity
and as mentioned earlier, their numbers increase to thousands
during the peak seasons.
These people loved the crocodile. It was everything to them. They
lived it, slept it, ate it, you name it, they’ve done it. They are
known to have become violent and self-destructive, soften imposing
hunger-strikes upon themselves to show their distress at the
dismal showing of the crocodile.
Lately, a lot of questions had been posed – where have all the
crocodiles gone?
And as a tune goes with “where have all the flowers gone” verily,
the believers or rather the crocodile watchers are crying out with
despondency, “long time passing, when will they ever return …?”
“They are probably in hibernation,” one suggestion that Siuke, a
long-time crocodile watcher offered during the debate on the
subject.
“Some seasons, they come out in force, bringing much delight into
our lives. Then other times, they just lie low and refuse to
budge, creating anxiety and misery in our lives.”
Siuke and his colleagues want to see the return of the crocodiles
back in their habitat doing what comes naturally.
They want the cheers and the ‘oohs and aahs’ back in their lives.
They want to come back home and revel in the joy of the
invigorating experience with their families.
Yes, they’ve been missing that miserably and life’s not the same
again in their tight circle ever since.
Previously, whereas the crocodile figured prominently in their
excited weekend conversations, these days, there is hardly
anything on the subject to talk about.
They recall years ago, when a weekend’s outing provided them with
enough ammunition to shoot off their mouths in cheers and glee
over the crocodile’s highly successful outing.
They would go back the following week, even if they had to beg,
steal or borrow, just to catch their icon in its regular habitat.
With that enthusiasm came the high expectations of an even better
showmanship and if they were lucky, an extra bonus thrown in for
their benefit.
Often that bonus came in the form of ‘natural selection’ – not in
the sense of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, but rather the
involvement of their favourite crocodiles at a higher level of
showmanship.
And we pause here to ponder the issue, where’d did it all go
wrong?
Since independence and even pre-independence, the crocodiles,
crocs or as they says in their Toaripi lingo, Isapea or Siapea,
had gone out of fashion at the highest level of football –
representative football.
The crocodiles referred in this context are the Keremas or players
of Gulf origin, whose numbers had blessed the national
representative sides since self-government in 1975.
Distinctly of lofty stature, the Keremas were gifted footballer
with an open flare to entertain the spectators – the watchers.
There were the likes of (former Kumuls) Kavora Posu, Eka Fae,
Mahuru Paul Tore, Jack Metta, Sukope Iko, James Miviri, Kaiva Kako,
Farapo Malala, Kepi Saea, Roy Heni, Bobby Ako, Clement Mou, half
croc Mark Mom, Tuksy Karu and the Kouoru brothers Gideon, Haoda
and Joshua.
Every year since independence, there was no shortage of a
crocodile or three in the Kumuls squad until several years ago,
when the last bastion of these crocodiles in Tuksy, Gideon, Haoda
and Joshua took off their much-cherished Kumul jumpers and hung up
their boots for good.
Even Haoda and Tuksy are in agreement that it is disappointing not
to hear the crocodiles roar in the latest national representative
selections and on the playing paddock.
In a recent conversation with 1976-77 Kumul Metta, all agreed that
the absence of crocodiles at the top level of football is a total
letdown for the benchmark set by the crocodiles of years between
1975 and 2000.
The explanation for these are varied but one factor that seems to
stand out like a sore thumb is the lack of discipline and
commitment that the crocodiles who made the Kumuls ranks in years
gone by, had shown.
“I guess it’s the latest lifestyles that they lead; they are open
and subjected to a lot of bad influences now than before which,
coupled with their struggles in a harsh environment, they find an
outlet, just to forget the realities of their real world,” Tuksy
ponders.
“In the process, they lose focus of their involvement in the game
and go astray.”
Haoda agreed saying he was concerned that the pride of the Keremas
is not there anymore.
“Everyone is madly passionate about his game and his team but at
the representative level, we might all support the national team
and our ardour will be all that more intensive if we have people
who are from our region, or who speak the same lingo out there
carrying, not only the nation’s flag and the pride of his family,
but the name of his own people and region as well.”
They agree that that pride needs to be rekindled and fanned into
something akin to a religious fever.
Both believe Gulf people and particularly business houses and
former crocodiles-cum-ex-Kumuls need to play a role in fanning
this flame to rejuvenate the present day crocodiles into
formidable playing machines and bring the pride and glory of yore
back into the country, the Gulf province and most of all, in the
homes of simple guys like Siuke and company.
There are plans, of course, to nurture the crocodiles at their
source, but that’s another story.
Suffice, it is to echo the Wise Counsellor’s words: “God who needs
nothing, brings into existence wholly unnecessary creatures so
that he may love and perfect them …”
 
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