But on a sad note, a chief organiser of the annual tournament, Joe Lumaris has resigned as secretary and coaching director of the PNG Softball Federation which sanctions national and international softball events.
The good news though is that the National Gaming Control Board has forked out K20,000 for naming rights for the March 21-24 championships in Port Moresby. This was officially announced last Saturday by the PNGSF president Chris Bais and the National Gaming Control Board CEO Simon Sanagke.
Sanagke said the sponsorship was for a worthy course in a sport that has so much potential with plenty of youth.
He said the game should be developed given the gold medal victories by national men’s and women’s teams during last year’s Pacific Games in Samoa.
Bais welcomed the sponsorship, saying that the National Gaming Control Board has now been given the naming rights to the national softball titles. It will be known as the National Gaming Control Board national softball championships.
It will also be the 31st national softball championships.
Bais said that part of the sponsorship will go towards the national coaching clinic which will be conducted prior to the national championships.
He said this year’s event is expected to be the biggest ever to be staged in the country.
Meanwhile, a chief organiser Lumaris tended his resignation to Bais last Friday saying that he wanted to concentrate on his priorities – that is, his work and his family.
The resignation comes amid PNGSF preparations for the National Softball Championships. However, in his resignation letter, Lumaris said he was currently employed by the TAFE College as a teacher and work has demanded a lot of his time and attention.
But he said he would still be involved in the sport at a more non-formal level in the Easter Championships preparations by giving coaching advice and setting up the draws.
At the club level, he is the coach of the Airways Bears playing in the Digicel Port Moresby Men’s A Grade softball.
Lumaris has been involved with softball since 1977 and has been the national coaching director since 1992. In 2002 he was appointed to the secretary’s office where he has served until his resignation.