Black Orchid Sevens to drive rugby on Bougainville

Sports
Source:
The National,Wednesday June 15th, 2016

 By JACK AMI
THE Black Orchid Sevens tournament in Bougainville was given a major boost through a new Land Rover, valued at K95,000, last Wednesday in Port Moresby.
The vehicle would be delivered to Bougainville in time to assist in the running of the July 2-3 sevens tournament in Arawa.
After the tournment, it would be used to “drive” rugby in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
This gift to the sport was made possible through the collective effort of sponsors of the sevens tournament.
The Black Orchids sevens started in 2006, with current PNG Sports Foundation chief executive officer and ARB Rugby Football Union president Peter Tsiamalili Jr.
Since then, the annual event has had a huge impact on youths, who are part of the code, in the region.
Speaking at the launching of the event at Laguna Hotel, Sports Minister Justin Tkatchenko said: “The two-day event has attracted 24 teams from Bougainville, 12 from other centres and one from the Solomon Islands.
“The event has been moved away from Buka, where it was staged for 10 years.”
Present at the launching were Bougainville Regional MP Joseph Lera, Minister for Information and Communications and Central Bougainville MP Jimmy Miringtoro, Solomon Islands High Commissioner Barnabas Anka, Chief Secretary Isaac Lupari, Mineral Resources Development Company  chief executive Augustine Mano and other departmental heads.
Tkatchenko will be present to witness the sevens tournament in Arawa with Lera and Mirinigtoro.
Tkatchenko said he will officially invite Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to not only witness the tournament but see for himself the progress taking placing in Bougainville after the crisis.