CC Sparrows win shield in A-Grade division of Iga Papaka tourney

THE two-day Iga Papaka Cup netball tournament over the long Queen’s Birthday weekend in Hula attracted over 500 people across 50 teams from Central and the National Capital District. Running for the third consecutive year, the tournament saw local team CC Sparrows taking home the shield after defeating Marshall in the A-Grade open women’s division. The other four divisions included the women’s masters, junior Under-15 and U18 and men’s category. Following the round matches on Saturday, the finals on Sunday saw people from Port Moresby, Motu-Koita and the surrounding villages of Hula flocking in to catch some netball action. Three teams – consisting of women above the age of 40 competed in the masters division. The finals saw Kaparoko and Rovanama in a heated match that ended with Rovanama beating Kaparoko 12-11 and claiming the masters title.
Out of the five divisions, the men’s final attracted more spectators with a strong challenge between Tobaras and Aroma’s Maopa. After a competitive sixteen minutes, Tobaras came out 14-11 victors. The U15 girls final saw Keapara beating Motu-Koita West while in the U18 division, Motu-Koita West defeated Veupanama 11-10. The winners were given K100 Stop N Shop shopping vouchers, which were sponsored by Central Governor Robert Agarobe, along with food rations and other merchandise from tournament sponsors. Competition organising committee member Lawrence Lahari said the aim of the tournament was not focused on prize money but rather to promote the true spirit of netball and to continue the legacy of his mother, the late Iga Papaka Lahari. “Our mum was a stalwart of the sport and we wanted to keep her legacy going and develop netball in the community,” he said.