Golf ranking for PNG
TWO PNG golfing tournaments are in the running for the 2007 Queensland PGA Tournament of the Year. Morobe Open and PNG Open finished in the top five ranking along with Australia 4, Bal Pro Am championship, Calaway Pro am (Royals Pines and Hopes Island) and Frase Coast Classic. PGA Australia – Queensland Division tournament coordinator Broc Greenhalgh said the way reflects the great achievements in the delivery of the tournament with the awards to be determine by professionals.

Still in the dark
PNG Golf Association president Stan Walker said last night that he actually don’t know what the criteria was for these events to be nominated. He said he believe that these must have come from the visiting professionals from Australia who have been Many Australian players are enjoy playing in PNG which attributed to the major factor is the welcome they get in Port Moresby and Lae, plus the support from sponsors from both corporate and individuals who provide them with accommodation and transports, so much so many friendships have been formed. I would be guessing but I expect the players themselves would vote on the matter.

Raggianas miss out
PNG Raggianas have pulled out of the Guam Rugby International Tournament scheduled for next month due to a lack of adequate funding. The Raggianas who were gearing up for the tournament and hoping to use it as a build up to the Sevens World Cup qualifiers in Samoa on July 25-26 were notified yesterday that their Guam trip will no longer eventuate as a result of limited funding. A circumspect Cybele Druma of PNG Rugby said that although it was unfortunate the trip was called off there is an another tournament that the women will aim for which is the Marist Sevens meet in Fiji in on March 7-8. Marist Sevens will serve as a better preparation for the qualifiers in Samoa in mid 2008.

Basketball heads south
PREPARATIONS for the inaugural National South’s Basketball tournament to be staged in Mendi on June 6-9 is well on target. Newly elected National South’s Basketball League (NSBL) president Silas Nicky said the tournament, the first of its kind ever is set to be a bigger sporting event planned for this year at the provincial capital. Nicky said participating teams would include registered South’s Basketball clubs around the country and teams from districts in the province. He said teams from as far as Madang, Lae and Port Moresby have indicated their participation. More information can be obtained by contacting Nicky on 72863061 (Digicel), Joseph Maino on 542 2041 or Joel Epoa on 864 2326 (B Mobile).

More power for Nuau
PAPUA New Guinea’s Lohial Nuau will become more powerful under a new structure for setting up of the AIBA Continental Confederation in its five continents. Oceania, Africa, Asia, America and Europe will now have only one AIBA Continental Confederation president with an executive director and other executive committee members managing the office. Nuai said this means that the previous organisational structure where there was Continental Boxing Bureau and a Boxing Association on the five continents will become one continental confederation. Nuau will become president of the Oceania Continental Confederation (OCC).

U12 team to be named
Wabag School Soccer will officially announce the Enga under 12 team for the 2008 Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) U12 Football Festival in New Caledonia on Saturday. The team will be announced in the presence of the France government who is the major sponsor of the team, Minister for Sports and Community Development, Dame Carol Kidu, Enga Governor Peter Ipatas, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Wabag Open Member Sam Abal and Papua New Guinea Football Association representatives. Wabag school soccer coordinator Mark Sakol said from Wabag that the preparation for the team’s official announcement ceremony is going very well.