Chung asks provinces to help sport

 PARTNERSHIPS are the way to go forward for soccer, Papua New Guinea Football Association president David Chung says.

In his second major press conference in the country, Chung, who is the Oceania Football Confederation president and FIFA vice president, said he wanted to work with stakeholders to develop infrastructure.

“I have vision for the way forward (2014-2015) to see infrastructure development around the country apart from promoting football aggressively,” he said.

The first major partnership is between the association and the West New Britain provincial government.

 Governor Sasindran Mutuvel has agreed to join hands in building the  K2.2 million Kimbe Technical Training Centre.

Chung (pictured) said Muthuvel had endorsed K1 million for the project, while the PNGFA through the FIFA goal project, will meet the balance.

The Kimbe Tech­nical Training Centre will consist of two international sized fields, accommodation and training rooms where they can conduct soccer’s elite programme for New Guinea Islands region affiliates.

The PNGFA has already acquired the services of Mike Keeney to oversee the academy programme, which is similar to the one in Lae and Port Moresby.

Chung believes such a kina for kina partnership will benefit the association and the provincial government.

 Muthuvel said the partnership with donor agencies like FIFA in promoting soccer in West New Britain was excellent.

“WNB is pushing such arrangements in preparation for the 2015 PNG Games as we have won the bid to host the Games and the two soccer stadiums would be ideal for hosting football matches. We are priveleged to have such an arrangement,” he said.

Chung commended Muthuvel for his foresight in the development  of soccer at the grassroots level. 

Mutuvel is the first governor to work in partnership with PNGFA .

Chung encouraged other governors to follow that lead.

He said apart from Kimbe, the association would be moving to Bougainville, and then to the Lae Football Academy where there would be major facelift, including flood lights.