By HENRY MORABANG
PNG Football Association (PNGFA) has offered K115,000 as prize money in the semi professional soccer competition, the National Soccer League, for this season.
The president of PNGFA David Chung yesterday announced the hefty prize money in return for what the franchise owners have chipped in to participate in NSL competition.
“PNGFA has budgeted for that and it is rewarding for franchise owners who have injected a lot of money towards taking part in the competition,” he said.
Chung said the winner will collect K65,000, the second place getter walks away K25,00 richer, third place K15,000 while fourth placed team wins K10,000.
He said NSL is the braindchild of PNGFA and it is fitting that he supports the concept until it is self-funding.
NSL chairman John Kapi Natto said there are other two major awards which include Player of the Series who will collect K10,000 while the Golden Boot winner bags K5,000 at the end of the NSL season.
Natto said Players of the Series (Year) is basically points given to top players during each round while the winner of the Golden Boots is for a player who score more goals during the season.
It is a PNGFA sanctioned tournament and the winner advances to preliminary rounds of the Oceania Club championship – the winner of course qualify for the World Club championship in Tokyo, Japan, next year.
The NSL season starts this month and will run through March next season. The winning team will have one month preparing before the preliminary rounds begin.
Natto said so far Hekari United, Welgris Highlander and Tuguba Laitepo Morobe Kumuls have full met all the requirements while Inspac Rapatona FC, Besta Fighters (Madang), Madang Fox and Gelle Hills have yet to complete the certain requirements of the affiliation.
He said he is optimistic the teams will fully meet all the requirements by tomorrow.
PNGFA and NSL technical chairman Joe Turia is positive that all the franchise will settle their outstanding fees before the season kicks off on Saturday.