Boxing championships get a K200,000 hit

THE sleepy border town of Vanimo, West Sepik, will come alive on the first week of December when it hosts the PNG Amateur Boxing Union‘s (PNGABU) national championships.
All system are set to go with patron of PNG Boxing Union and Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah committing K200,000 from the National Gaming Control Board to host the five-day tournament.
The championships should attract all the affiliated members throughout the country.
The boxing championships is scheduled from Dec 1-5 to coincide with the Sandaun Provincial Day.
But the local organising committee and the PNGABU urged all the affiliated members to come before November 30.
Namah when assuming the patronage of the PNG Amateur Boxing Union tournament has been very supportive of the code.
The new chairman of the NGCB Qwenting Cholai confirmed the sponsorship for the PNGABU.
He said the money would be available when the paperwork was completed.
The general-secretary of PNGBU John Avira yesterday thanked Namah for taking time off from his busy schedule to support boxing.
He said Namah had been very supportive since taking over from former treasury minister Patrick Pruaitch as the patron.
Both ministers, despite their political differences, are sponsors of boxing in PNG to allow unemployed youths to take part in positive social activities.
Avira urged all the associations to make an attempt to attend the championships which would also coincide with the PNGABU annual general meeting where they would elect the new officials.
Avira thanked Namah and his government through NGCB for their timely assistance towards the staging of the boxing tournament.
PNGABU last staged the national championships in Buka, North Solomons, in 2009.