Sports administrator and family attacked

By KEVIN TEME
A SPORTS administrator, Ripa Kalamo, and his family yesterday escaped death when they were attacked by a group of settlers at the 6-Mile dump area in Port Moresby.
Kalamo suffered bush knife wounds to three of his left fingers which required stitches at the Port Moresby Internati-
onal Hospital.
Hospital personnel said Kalamo nearly lost one of his fingers in the attack, which required more stitches.
Kalamo, his two daughters and two grandchildren were on their way to visit relatives in Tubuseirea village, Central, yesterday morning when they were attacked.
“I do not know why they attacked us as they were on the side patching the potholes and, as we drove up and slowed down, one of them pulled open the door where my daughter was sitting and pulled her out,” Kalamo said.
“When I jumped out to help her, the attacker swung his bush knife at me.
“I ducked the first blow but the second one landed on my left palm and cut three of my fingers,” he said.
“If it wasn’t for the bravery of my elder daughter Teisi, I would have been killed.
“She jumped into the driver’s seat and I quickly got in and she drove  off,” Kalamo said.
Kalamo, who is also the PNGRFL Southern regional development officer and an accredited paralympics coach, said the reason for the attack was not known but the attack could be related to continuous fighting among Central people which started last week.
Kalamo also appealed to the concerned authorities to resolve the differences quickly.