Brewery cancels awards

SOUTH Pacific Brewery has cancelled this year’s SP Sports Awards due to difficult times brought on by the Covid-19 and state of emergency (SOE) restrictions.
Brewery corporate affairs manager John Nilkare said it was the first time the awards had been cancelled since the inception of the initiative in 1992.
“The liquor bans and restrictions endured by the brewery and its customers under the SOE was the main reason we had to cancel the event,” he said in a statement.
“Our financial position simply does not allow us to celebrate our sporting successes with our elites.”
In March, the brewery advised the Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee (PNGOC), PNG Sports Foundation (PNGSF), sponsors and the media about the postponement.
And now it has confirmed that this year’s event will be cancelled.
The awards were launched in February, with the close of nominations and presentation ceremony scheduled for April 3 and May 30 respectively.
All three key stakeholders — the brewery, PNGOC and PNGSF — have agreed to cancel this year’s event and to push it to next year.
“Health, safety and business continuity are high priorities for the brewery,” the statement said.
“The company intends to mitigate the risk of a potential spread of the virus, while reducing costs to ensure it can continue to support its staff and their families.”
Nilkare added: “The Covid-19 situation has presented many challenges to our business which forces us to make tough decisions that will unfortunately affect our partners and stakeholders.
“I thank PNGOC and PNGSF for their understanding in these unprecedented times and we look forward to a stronger 2021.”
All nominations already received will be filed for next year. Individuals and teams intending to nominate this year are also asked to submit their forms next year.