By HENRY MORABANG
TRUKAI Industries has committed K1.5 million for the next three years to sponsor and again secure the naming rights of the annual Fun Run event.
Events manager Mea Willie announced this yesterday during the 2008 Trukai Fun Launch at the Royal Papuan Yacht Club (RPYC) in Port Moresby.
Willie said her company was proud to announce its continuing association with the PNG Sports Federation and Olympic Committee through its biggest fundraising activities.
Through the Fun Run event, the PNGSFOC will receive a minimum of K500,000 in sponsorship each year from Trukai Industries ñ the more Fun Run T-shirts sold, the larger the amount raised.
This year promises to be bigger than ever, with a target of 100,000 Trukai Fun Run T-hirts to be sold throughout the country.
Trukai Industries’ association with Fun Run started in July 2000 and it has gone from strength to strength with more Papua New Guinea residents participating each year.
Ms Willie said Trukai Industries in partnership with PNGSFOC has developed some of PNG’s most successful athletes of today, in particular, our home-grown champion and international weightlifter Dika Toua.
“Trukai brands of rice are traditionally associated with health and strength, which is appropriately demonstrated by the company’s continued sponsorship of the sports of weightlifting, powerlfiting and bodybuilding,” she said.
The Fun Run is a “Sports for All” event and Trukai Industries’ contribution to sports was recently recognised international when the company was awarded a Sports and Community Trophy by International Olympic Committee in 2006.
Governor-General Sir Paulias Matane, who officially launched the nationwide event, said such sporting initiative would not have been successful without the kind sponsorship of organisations and business houses whose involvement have assisted our sportsmen and women realise their full potential in whatever sporting codes they were involved in.
“I would like to acknowledge Trukai Industries for their outstanding and continued support to PNG Sports Federation and Olympic Committee in supporting our elite athletes in the country.”
Sir Paulias appealed to the corporate sector to come forward and support this great community initiative through PNGSFOC and Trukai Industries.
“We have a lot of talented athletes out there whose potential will be fully realised if given the right kind of support and assistance,” he said.
Sir Paulias said three PNG athletes have already qualified on merit for the Beijing Games on Aug 8-20. The athletes are Ryan Pini (swimming), Mae Koime (athletic) and Theresa Kona (taekwando).
He said hopefully more athletes will qualify at their respective Oceania Olympic qualifiers next month ñ boxing in Samoa, Judo in New Zealand and weightlifting. PNG soccer, both men and women are also doing the battle in Oceania qualifying tournament in Fiji and Port Moresby.