Call for govt to honour sports legends

By PARKER TAMBUA
PAPUA New Guinea Sports Foundation executive director and Hall of Fame inductee Iammo Gapi Launa has called on the Government to build sculptures in honour of the country’s legends.
Launa, who was inducted into Hall of Fame in Port Moresby on Thursday night, said athletes with significant achievements over the years had sacrificed a lot for the country.
“The Hall of Fame is significant,” Launa said.
“We sports people suffer, it’s an unpaid job. We trained seven days a week for years, we sacrificed our marriage lives, our studies just to fly the PNG flag.
“I am appealing to Sports Vice-Minister Wesley Raminai and the Government to build sculptures in the city to honour everyone inducted into the Hall of Fame for their services.
“We deserve recognition, government delegations only fly our flag at certain international meetings. But athletes fly our flag all over the world.”
Raminai said Prime Minister James Marape was passionate about supporting sports in the country and they would do whatever they could as a responsible government.
“Sports has allowed our nation of a thousand tribes to be united as a country,” he said.
“It has many opportunities for Papua New Guineans to develop as a person and also showcase their talents.
“It has exported many talents abroad and PNG has been noticed on the global stage.
“That is why the Marape government will always be committed and focus more on sports.”
Raminai said the Papua New Guinea Sports Foundation was leading a review into a new policy for the country which would be launched soon.