Padio keen on scoring

HENRY MORABANG
SCORING goals is everyone’s dream in playing football.
When Papua New Guinea’s Under-20 women’s team line up against Brazil in the opening match at 7pm at Sir John Guise Stadium on Nov 3, the world will be watching striker Ramona Padio.
Coach Lisa Cole rated her as a good striker who can score goals against quality opponents.
The former US Boston Breakers coach said Ramona proved that she could score goals during the tour of South Korea and also against the collegiate teams in the United States.
“She is goal-hungry and she would want to give her best if she receives good support from team mates,” Cole said.
Ramona, as she likes to be called, wants to give something back to her country and said if the opportunity arose, she wanted to thank PNG with a positive result.
Ramona is one of the few seasoned international players in the U20 women’s team preparing for the World Cup.
She said playing in the World Cup would provide an opportunity to lift the profile of women’s football in the country.
Like many West New Britain women, her love for football started at the age of five in the four-corner provincial capital, Kimbe, of the oil palm-rich province.
She admired those who had gone before her, including the Muta sisters Barbara, who is the U20 assistant coach, and Esther.
On the national front, she is fond of PNG women’s captain Deslyn Siniu.
Padio was playing club football in Kimbe when she was called to join the senior women’s team for the tour for Thailand just before the Pacific Games.
From there, the West New Britain lass never looked back.
The highlight of her career was winning a Games medal and the K20,000 cash incentive awarded after PNG defeated New Caledonia in the women’s football final 1-0.
She does not demand from coach Lisa Cole but she is being closely monitored and tipped to take the frontline position.
Padio said she was enjoying training under her coach and respected her so much.
She is currently tagged as number one striker under Cole’s game plan, and Padio is hoping to do well for her country come Nov 3.