THE EFFECT of the Third PNG Games on the Morobe economy is bountiful. More than K4 million is expected to be put into the province’s coffers over the week to Saturday. Papua New Guinea Sports Foundation executive director John Kambuou and the Chairman of the PNG Games Council Edris Kumbruwah said the money would be coming from the teams taking part in the games.
It may not be direct cash for goods put into the hands of Morobe or Lae-based business, but it would include services rendered.
During the Second PNG Games in Goroka in 2005, only nine provinces played 13 sports.
Yet the Goroka economy had benefited from an unprecedented K1.5 million.
Kambuou said that the estimates were based on a formula experts they had hired used to calculate the figures.
He said based on that: “It is highly likely that the Morobe economy will be boosted by something in the vicinity of K4 to K5million.”
The tangible earnings for Morobe include stall holders selling goods including drinks and snacks as well as betelnuts and cigarettes.
And there’s more when athletes go in Top Town to collect souvenirs or to the markets to find fruits.
There are nearly 6,000 athletes and administrators from all over Papua New Guinea except the Milne Bay, which is also staging its Kula festival and Oro province, which has been devastated by flooding.
Elsewhere, the National Capital District has overtaken Eastern Highlands in the unofficial medal after corrections were made in the women’s powerlifting results.
NCD women’s team dart gave the nation’s capital a one gold buffer over the Apos when the results were ratified.
NCD has collected nine golds, one silver and three bronze for a total of 13.
EHP is now second with eight gold medals, 11 silvers and seven bronze.
Morobe also made a big leap acquiring four more gold to equal EHP’s gold medal tally and added two silvers and couple of bronzes to their tally.
The Apos still lead the overall medal count with 26 medal, 13 more than NCD and 14 ahead of Morobe.
Western Highlands hauled in three gold and a bronze in powerlifting both in able body and disability.
Simbu, Madang and the Autonomous Bougainville Region (ABR) each bagged a gold, also in powerlifting.
Simbu added three silver and a bronze to add to their lone gold. ABR collected a silver and a bronze.
West New Britain, Western, East New Britain and Enga collected minor medals.
The capital women’s dart outscored Team Morobe for the women’s team event while Team ABR settled for the bronze.
Team Morobe made up for that narrow lose by bagging the women’s team gold in golf at the Lae Golf club. This is the inaugural competition for golf in the PNG Games.