POM win netball titles

Sports

A PEPES-dominated Port Moresby Netball Association side thumped Central 41-18 in the A Grade final of the senior national netball championships on Saturday.
POMNA were too fast and skilful for their opponents, who struggled to keep up with their intensity on court in what amounted to a training run for the city side at the Rita Flynn Indoor Netball Complex at Bisini, Boroko.
Despite the lop-sided scoreline, Central to their credit made a contest of the match, with their sole Pepe Tau Galewa and Telstars veteran Olive Jonah in midcourt doing their best to rally the side.
Goal defender Galewa did her best to keep out POMNA shooters Lua Rikis and Marie Ottio – the three women were teammates at the Nations Cup tournament in Singapore.
Galewa and Jonah proved effective, as they ended the first half trailing POMNA 19-10. Unfortunately as the game wore on, there was little they could do to compensate for the gulf in quality and class between the two teams.
With the likes of Pepes Jacklyn Lahari, Winnie Mavara and Shanna Dringo dictating play in midcourt for POMNA, there was little doubt about the final outcome of the game.
The win for the POMNA team was a victory lap for the Pepes in the squad, after their outstanding performance in Singapore in reaching the final of the Nations Cup against Zambia two weeks ago.
In the B Grade final POMNA overcame a determined Alotau 24-15.
The women from Milne Bay got the better of their more fancied opponents, as they closed the margin between the teams with excellent shots at goal in the second half of the match.
In the Masters division, Central beat Alotau 26-15.