Tsiamalili nomination for PNGRFU post queried

By HENRY MORABANG
THE nomination by Papua New Guinea Sports Foundation executive director Peter Tsiamalili Junior for the PNG Rugby Football Union presidency has drawn criticism from some in the sports fraternity.
The main issue of contention is that of a possible conflict of interest  that some see as detrimental to his position as head of the country’s overall sports body.
Tsiamalili Jr was widley known as a rugby union personality at one stage even holding the vice-president’s position of PNG Rugby as well as  later being the president of Bougainville Rugby before becoming the youngest head of a state body in the PNGSF. A former University club player and national representative, Tsiamalili Jr is one of the three nominees for the hot seat vacated by former president Richard Sapias earlier this year. The AGM will be held this Wednesday (Oct 26).
Sapias left the post to become president of Oceania Rugby last May. Schoolboys soccer advocate John Mogi raised his concern about Tsiamalili Jr being allowed to do his primary role as the PNGSF head if he also had the interests of rugby union to cater for.
“Ethically Mr Tsiamalili Jr should have declined his nomination and allowed an outsider to run for the top position,” Mogi said.
A source well-versed in the history and workings of the PNGSF said under previous administrations headed by John Kambuou and Iammo Launa – employees of the foundation were not allowed to hold executive positions in sporting bodies because of the danger and perception that they would be bias to those sports or neglect their duties to the the wider sporting community in preference to the sport.
The National understood that THE former National Sport Institute (NSI) director, Edris Kumbrawah was asked to step down from his role as secretary-general of PNG Football Association while serving as an executive officer with the institute.
Others who have had to relingquish their roles in codes due to their positions at the foundation include Ronnie Mea (basketball), Moses Tolingling (table tennis) and Thomas Kahai (hockey)
The PNGSF sports officers have been allowed to be involved in technical capacities.
The source said ethically and administratively, Tsiamalili Jr should be deemed ineligible for any position with any national sporting federation while he was head of the PNGSF. The source admitted that there were no set policies or guidelines on the issue but a clear conflict on interest would occur if the foundation’s head was play a dual role as head of another code.
The rugby union fraternity have remained tightlipped about Tsiamalili Jr’s nomination.
PNGRFU general manager Frank Genia when approached for comment by this paper said he could not comment on the matter.
“Our internal processes to facilitate this AGM general election has not yet concluded. I will be able to comment early next week,” Genia said.