Soccer star inspires Gulf youths

Story and picturesby VINCENT JOSEPH
IT is not very often that we hear of an overseas sports personality visiting a remote setting in Papua New Guinea.
NRL star, David Mead visits his Tubusereia village in Central regularly.
Former Kumul captain John Wilshire also visits his mother’s Butibam village in Morobe from time to time. Another overseas sports star we don’t often hear about is David Browne. He is also part Papua New Guinean and occasionally visits the country.
While here, the soccer star from the Land of the Long White Cloud makes sure he plays the game he loves with village children and tries to impart some of his skills and knowledge on the sport to the young ones.
Not only that, David is even game enough to try his hand at sago-making, Kerema style.
This is the story of young Papua New Guinea-born David Browne, who played for Auckland City in New Zealand’s top soccer competition.
David was in the Auckland City team that participated in the World Club Championships.
He has just been named in the PNG team to participate in the Oceania FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. He now plays with FC Gronigen, also in New Zealand.
David is son of expatriate and longtime PNG resident Bob Browne and mother Segana who hails from Gabagaba village in the Central. His father, the late Bob was the creator of the famous grassroots comics.
His son David was in PNG last year to visit his mother who works at the Community Health Worker Training School at Kapuna in Gulf.
While holidaying there, David would assist the teachers at the local school on weekdays and in the afternoons and at weekends he would be with the young village boys, teaching them to play soccer.
He had a local buddy named Vincent Joseph.
When the Gulf staple of sago would start running out in the house, David would be found out in the swamp with Vincent, happily producing the stuff in Kerema fashion.
Vincent was truly inspired by David’s visit and friendship.
“Not many of us will go to New Zealand or even become international soccer stars.
But we were inspired by what David has achieved in his life and that he was able to share some of his experiences with us.
“Who knows, one good day maybe one of us here at Kapuna will be able to follow in David’s footsteps,” his friend said.
Vincent hopes that there are other Papua New Guineans or part Papua New Guinean like David Browne out there in the world, whether in sport or employment, who are able to take come back to the rural settings to inspire young Papua New Guineans to reach for the sky like they did.