Big boost for rural sports

SPORTS

**Usino-Bundi MP Uguro showing the plaque with his name and the PM to the visiting dignitaries.**

By JAMES G KILA
IT was an evening of many firsts at rural Walium government station on Thursday, March 17.
For the first time ever a crowd of over several thousand people from three local level government (LLG)areas of Usino, Bundi and Gama converged on one venue to watch in awe as the bright sparks of fireworks illuminated the night skies. The fireworks organised by Lamana Fireworks who were invited from Port Moresby were visible even from up at the Kurumbukari plateau where the Ramu nickel/cobalt mine and as far as remote hamlets on the Finistere ranges.
For the first-time people including children walked under the bright flood lights which literally brought night to day in this rural setting.
Moreover, it was also the first time to see crowds of men, women and children dancing freely and openly under the bright lights amidst the radiating thump of the local disco music beat of Madang’s popular music artist Gedix Atege and the Wali Hits band.
According to President of Usino LLG, Peiwa Aimai, the sporting fraternity in this remote district was excited because they had seen a glimmer of hope that the new sporting facility would play a part in the development of their raw sporting talents to excel in sports. Additionally, sporting bodies in the country would come to scout potential talents from Usino-Bundi in various sporting codes
Aimai added that Usino-Bundi district under the visionary leadership of first-term MP and Education Minister, Jimmy Uguro has remarkably set a new trend in development agenda considering sports as an agent for change thus resulting in the establishment of a brand new sporting complex.
The stadium boasts two soccer fields, a rugby field and within its indoor facility it can host basketball and volleyball games.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister James Marape officially declared the brand new sports stadium open stating that the new facility should be more than just sports.
The Usino-Bundi MP and the DDA in their wisdom had named the indoor complex Opotio Romuru Hall in memory of the district’s first Member of the House of Assembly.

**Minister Uguro leading PM Marape and Madang Governor Peter Yama to unveil the plaque.**

The PM urged the rural people of Usino-Bundi district particularly the youths to utilise the sporting complex to promote agriculture, stating that youths during their games should also have cocoa seedlings to plant in their gardens to supplement their sporting life and their living standard. Sports should keep them fit and healthy.
Marape also told the Usino-Bundi people to use facility to host conferences, promote agriculture and revive green gold.
“While the aim of sporting teams is to top the competition and win gold, the networking of rural youth through sporting activities should also conceptualise the aim of winning green gold through agriculture,” Marape said.
The PM was also accorded the honour of presenting K500,000 cheque to the new Fr Mike Morrison Memorial High School, K250,000 to Tusbab Secondary school’s James Marape Hall, K250,000 to the new Usino Technical High School.
The PM also presented a brand new truck to the Usino-Bundi Sports Council who will be managing the new stadium.
The Prime Minister also unveiled a plaque naming the stadium as Jimmy Uguro Sports Precinct.
After these presentations the PM was again given the honour of officially conducting the ground-breaking for a new double-storey district office complex.
Marape was accompanied to the occasion at Walium by the Madang Governor Peter Yama, Agriculture Minister John Simon and Minister Responsible for Sports and Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Wesley Raminai. Also present at the event was Education Secretary Dr. Uke Kombra.
Marape also at the gathering announced the awarding of a K159 million contract for the Ramu highway and K43 million for the North Coast Road from Bogia to Awar. In his address the PM committed to supporting Madang governor Yama with K5 million for the Banu-Bundi road which would eventually link up to Gembogl in Chimbu.
The prime minister told the people at Walium that Usino-Bundi was one of Madang’s most remote districts with basic government services not reaching the people and road access was a top priority for the three LLG areas of Usino, Bundi and Gama.
Marape told the people that Usino-Bundi would be part of the Connect PNG network and he would make sure the missing links were maintained to link all centres on the mainland.

James Kila is a freelance journalist based in Madang