Two clubs get the axe
THE Port Moresby Rugby Football League has axed two former champion clubs Post Puma and Souths from its 2008 competition. The chairman Ivan Ravu confirmed yesterday that POMRL booted the clubs out because of the poor administration and also unsportsmanship behaviour caused by its supporters and player. He said Souths have appealed against the decision to the PNGRFL, saying the appeal should be directed to the Port Moresby league. Ravua said Popondetta Butterflies have been reinstated into the competition following their successful appeal.

Swimming set for Lae                                                                                                           LAE Amateur Swimming Club (LASC) will hosting the 2008 TNT National Short Course Championships in April. The national event will be held at the Coronation International School pool on April 4-6, and will be competed over four sessions. All athletes willing to participate in the event must be registered with PNGSI (Papua New Guinea Swimming Inc) club or must be an invited guest of PNGSI. The event will be a crucial one for athletes wishing to qualify for a place on the 2008 Oceania swim team to Christchurch New Zealand because it will be the last qualifying competition. Entries for the championships will close with each club registrar at 6pm on Monday, March 17. PNGSI sincerely thanks TNT for supporting and sponsoring the championships for another year.

Runners on course
PORT Moresby road runners will meet tomorrow at 4.45pm at TNT Depot, opposite Jackson’s Depot at Seven-Mile for 2km and 7km events. In the longer event runners will have no time to admire the view above Jacksons Airport as they plunge down Radar Hill. All are welcome to run and it is still only 20t to take part.

Lae win bowls title
SIO Bazo and Magia Matang beat international Nadu Namon and Potuku Molean to claim the PNG bowls men’s pair’s national title in Bulolo last Sunday. The Lae pair were undefeated in their sections and maintained their consistency throughout the two-day national championships. They sneaked into the finals to beat their Lae colleagues in a tightly contested affair. Bulolo’s Soling Tiba and Samson Karlos were pushed out of the finals and finished fourth after going down to another strong side from Lae in the play off for the third and fourth placing respectively. The winners and runners-up received trophies and other cash and consolation prizes from the PNG Bowls Federation.

Ready to kick off
AMU Nickel-sponsored Kurumbukari Rugby Football League is set to kick-start its maiden proper season next weekend. The games will be played at the Walium government station with six teams participating. MCC’s sports coordinator Christopher Aizuwe revealed the dates during the off-season grand final replay at Danagari village in Kurumbukari last Sunday. “The smooth completion of the pre-season has paved the way for the maiden proper-season to start next weekend,”Aizuwe said. The clubs participating in this year’s competition will be Banu Pirates, Mountain Brothers, Otto Kua Storms, Highway Tigers, Wantu Raiders and Ramu Ants.