Association’s ban lifted

 By HENRY MORABANG

THE country’s leading soccer association, Port Moresby, has been granted provisional membership by Papua New Guinea Football Association after a five-year suspension. PMSA was suspended from PNGFA in November, 2008.

The provisional membership will allow PMSA to take part in all PNGFA-sanctioned competitions with voting rights to be allowed at the bi-annual congress next year. 

In a letter dated May 15, 2013, PNGFA general-secretary Dimirit Mileng informed PMSA interim president John Wesley Gonjuan of the lifting of the suspension. The PNGFA executive meeting on May 5 at Ela Beach Hotel resolved to provisionally uplift the long standing suspension. 

The letter read: “Resolution No. 12 of the executive committee resolved to lift the suspension provisionally taking into consideration submission made by the interim committee. The evidence provided clearly stipulates that all outstanding cases in the Court of Lae had been nullified. The period of provisional membership remains in order until the next PNGFA congress at which the decision of the executive committee will be ratified.”

In the meantime, the interim committee of PMSA shall conduct its business as member of PNGFA including all requirements and obligations as a member. 

Three conditions of the provisional membership are to: 

• prepare a new constitution in line with the required format; 
• make preparation for a properly constituted election of new office bearers as per the requirement of the new constitution; 
• conduct an elective congress by Jan 1, 2014.

Gonjuan welcomed the PNGFA executive committee’s decision saying it was a major breakthrough for Port Moresby soccer after sitting out of the football family for the last five years.

Gonjuan’s committee was installed on March 10, 2013, to ensure PMSA was returned back to the football fold. He said now that the suspension was no longer there, PMSA would now focus on its administrative affairs such as the constitution, reviewing the entire competition organisation including its Super League component, the development of infrastructure, youth and the referees.