Mobiha condemns sacking

Sports

THE suspension of three soccer associations has set a bad precedent for the Papua New Guinea Football Association, according to former acting general secretary and executive member of the association Noel Mobiha.
He said the recent reports on the suspension of the Hekari Soccer Association by David Chung and his PNGFA executive was not in the best interest of soccer in the country.
Mobiha, pictured, said PNGFA general secretary Dimirit Mileng had a duty to advise his executive on issues such as the suspension of associations and whether it would serve the greater good.
Mobiha said if the PNGFA were to exercise strict adherence to vetting the associations, then the majority of associations would need to be either suspended or excluded from taking part at the next annual general meeting.
That would be detrimental to soccer’s development and progress.
“It is my sincere hope that PNGFA re-instate Hekari,” Mobiha said.
“It should also put in place a programme at the academy to provide training and guidance to ensure associations work towards full compliance within a period of three years,” Mobiha said.
“Requirements under the PNGFA constitution are not easy to achieve, especially when associations are run by honorary executives, with little or no funding.
“The only association that comes close to having a home ground is the Lae Football Association,” Mobiha said. He said common sense needed to be applied and the PNGFA had to do more to help associations become compliant.
Conversely, Mobiha said it was time the PNGFA had people with professional standing, commercial and business expertise to lead the sport.
“There needs to be change from the top down because what they currently have is not working,” he said.