Local firm extends a hand

By HENRY MORABANG

EASTERN Highlands can become the number one sporting centre in PNG if stakeholders put their differences aside and support sports.
Bintangor Trading managing director Simon Sia made the comments when forking out a substantial amount of money to back Eastern Highlands development team to participate in the 36th National Gaming Control Board softball championships in Goroka over the Easter weekend.
Bintangor Trading is synonymous with franchise rugby league team Goroka Lahanis.
The challenge is expected to kick off on May 8.
Sia said he was happy to support sport which was very important for human development of the youth in the province.
He was elected Goroka Soccer Association president and, is also the franchise owner of the Goroka Bintangor Lahanis rugby league club in the Digicel Cup.
With Goroka playing host to the tournament, Sia said it was an important sporting event and there should be more financial support coming from companies and politicians in the province.
He said sports brought unity to the province and it was “our pride as Eastern Highlanders, we should back such sporting event apart from rugby league”.
Goroka development team manager Peter Kuso thanked Sia for his continuous support to sports.
He said the squad was preparing for the PNG Grassroots Games in Kokopo, East New Britain next year.
“This squad will basically form the core of the future Eastern Highlands softball team for representative duties including the PNG Games next year,” Kuso said.
Kuso thanked Eastern Highlands Governor Mal Kela-Smith and local leader and prominent businessman in Goroka, Michael Gotaha for supporting the championships.
Gotaha and his family provided bags of kaukaus and cabbages for the teams taking part in the event.