Goroka lads make camp

By ZACHERY PER
FIVE rising rugby league payers from the Goroka School Boys rugby league competition flew into Port Moresby to be in the PNGNRL and PNGRFL Under 15 development camp.
President of Goroka school boys Ellyson Ketauwo gave money to the boys and their coach Eddie Tom.
Parents and Ketauwo were at the airport to see the boys fly out of Goroka for the first time to be in the one-week camp that began in Port Moresby yesterday.
Ketauwo said the boys were selected from the national junior zone trials held in Lae early last month.
“I appreciate the recognition of the boys from Goroka school boys rugby league, because their selection is a vote of confidence for all the efforts we put in to develop our young rugby league players,” he said.
He said his management team comprised people love for the game.
“I am happy that our efforts have not gone waste, it bore fruit so we are looking forward towards a much bigger and better schoolboy’s competition in Goroka next year,” Ketauwo said.
He urged local business houses in Goroka and Kainantu to support the schoolboys competition next year, as they are the seed capital for reigning Digicel Cup champions Bintangor Lahanis.
Ketauwo gave words of encouragements to the boys and urged them to be good ambassadors for Eastern Highlands province.
The boys will join others from other provinces in the national school boys development camp this week.
The camp ends on Thursday.
The Goroka school boys who boarded the plane to Port Moresby yesterday were Mathias Kawagle (North Goroka Primary School), Napoleon Ilofa, Jehuda Sipa, Lavax Ketauwo (Okiyufa Primary School) and Joseph Negiho (Gama Primary School).
The PNGNRL Bid 2011 junior development camp for the U15 school boys begins today at the University of PNG.
Bid CEO Brad Tassell said the first three camps would feature the U15 development players selected from the recent all schools national championship held in Lae in September.
The second camp for the U17s, was also selected from the same tournament and will start on Nov 28.
“These camps are the culmination of the year round programme implemented by the PNGNRL Bid.
“We have invested over K700,000 into the programme this year to develop a pathway for talented rugby league juniors.
“This is just the start and it has been hugely successful this year,” Tassell said.
“We will be expanding the programme to capture other regions that have approached us and will also be looking at incorporating the U19s.
“This is what the Bid is all about; developing the youths of the nation and giving them an opportunity which was not available prior to this programme,” Tassell said.
Bid development officer Shane Morris will take the boys through a programme designed to improve their skills and provide specialised training on diet and their mind set to become top quality footballers.