Champs tip off

THE Prima Smallgoods-sponsored national volleyball championships tipped off in Lae yesterday, with tournament heavyweights Vava looking to retain their title.
Up to 40 teams from 10 affiliates throughout the country are expected to compete in the five-day tournament.
Prima Smallgoods has been a loyal corporate sponsor of the Huon Volleyball Association in Lae for more than 10 years now.
And this time, Prima has gone a step further by helping the association to host the championships.
Prima national marketing manager Kola Geri confirmed a sponsorship of K30,000 for championships plus products worth of K5,000.
Association president Ron Karo said the Under-21 national titles would end tomorrow.
He said open-division titles would take place between tomorrow and Sunday.
Americans from Kainantu’s Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) will make their maiden appearance at the tournament as an invitational side.
Prima Smallgoods presented cartons of sausages as part of its sponsorship of the championships.
“In other sports, there are violence and disrespect but in volleyball, we don’t want to see this,” Geri said.
“We have to create an environment for families to enjoy.
“We have to change the attitude of young people and turn them away from drugs, alcohol and let people see them as role models.”
Karo said Prima had invested a lot in volleyball since 2007 and told the athletes it is a challenge to them to uphold the good name of volleyball and the sponsor, Prima.
Papua New Guinea Sports Foundation Mamose director Jeffery Gideon said they had given a discount for the use of the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium for the tournament because they believed in investing in young people for a better future.