By HAIVETA KIVIA and JEFFREY ELAPA
THE PNG Sports Foundation yesterday slapped a K124,500 bill on the 3rd PNG Games Host Organising Committee (HOC) for the use of Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium, two days before the official opening of the weeklong Games in Lae on Saturday.
The committee announced yesterday that host Team Morobe had gone over its fundraising target of K300,000 (see story, tomorrow) however, this good news was overshadowed in other Games-related developments where:
*Frustrated athletes in Southern Highlands commandeered a provincial government vehicle after protesting that they were given only K50,000 of a promised K150,00 to attend the Games; and
*Legal complications may arise over the inclusion of the Mr PNG Bodybuilding title in the Games because the matter relating to the suspension of the current Mr PNG is still before the courts for a decision
In Mendi, about 300 youths in training for the Games took control of the Southern Highlands provincial headquarters Agiru Centre asking why they received only K50,000 and not K150,000 promised by Governor Anderson Agiru at Momei Oval a couple of weeks ago.
They blocked access into the building with huge stones, and drove away with a government vehicle owned by the division of Education after stoning the Education advisor’s vehicle.
Other youths shouted and threw stones at officers looking out through the windows of the seven-storey Agiru centre but there were no casualties and major damages done.
However, the youths claimed that whatever fund that has been approved by the provincial government should be paid to them in order to take the teams out to take part in the games.
The provincial Sports coordinator Scottie Arikapu was in Lae organisation the team’s accommodation and accreditation was not available for comment. Police watched but warned against any further riots and destructions to properties.
Yesterday, the PNG Sports Foundation said it was charging K35,500 for the Indoor Complex, K24,000 for the netball courts, K29,500 for outdoor volleyball court and another K35,500 for the outdoor stadium.
This has prompted owners of other venues - Lae Football Park (LFA), Lae Basketball and Lae Showground - to also demand payment for the usage of their venues.
As of yesterday, games that were supposed to be held at these venues have been cancelled and moved elsewhere by HOC.
HOC events manager Napoleon Kaemala said the Sports Foundation had engaged contractors without the knowledge of the HOC and had been forwarding the invoices from these contractors to his office for payment. “Why should we pay them when we are paying for the contractors that they are engaging?”
PNG Sports Foundation – Momase regional manager John Paliau wrote to the chairman of HOC on Oct 9 enclosing an invoice covering various sporting facilities that will be used in staging various sporting activities for the duration of the games.
The Foundation asked that the Host Organising Committee pay 50% of the charges now and the balance be paid prior to the commencement of the games because it was closing its sporting venues for 20 days to prepare for the Games, the amount was based on loss of revenue from gate takings and other fees.