Column 1

WHAT more can we ask of from the PNG men’s soccer ‘Kapuls’ following their outstanding performance on Saturday afternoon that kept those who watched at the edge of their feet until the final whistle!!! New Zealand took to the field as favourites having finished third in the 2012 OFC Nations Cup while the Kapuls went in hoping to write history for PNG’s by finishing off as champions.
***
AND you would agree that the players are all champions in their own right. Captain David Muta playing in the engine room with Emmanuel Simon, then there was Raymond Gunemba, Michael Foster, Tommy Semmy, Nigel Dabingyaba and the ever-reliable defenders – the Komolong brothers Alwin and Felix, Daniel Joe and Koriak Upaiga and the goalkeeper Ronald Warison; you have made your country proud.
***
PAPUA New Guinea has never finished in the top four of the Oceania Football Conference Nations Cup since its inception 43 years ago in 1973. Place getters have always been between Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti and the Solomon Islands. The last nation’s cup in 2012 saw Tahiti walking out champions followed by New Caledonia, New Zealand and the Solomon Islands.
***
FOR the benefit of some who may not know what the OFC Nations Cup is all about; it is held every four years and is the region’s premier international football competition which sees eight Oceania nations vie for the right to represent OFC at the FIFA Confederations Cup. The prestigious event also offers one of the most impressive trophies in the OFC cabinet.
***
INTERESTINGLY, the trophy measures 55cm high, it took 65 hours to complete and was created entirely from silver plate by the Thomas Lyte team of expert silversmiths. And PNG came so close to laying claim to it.
**
INCASE you think it is wired sleepwalking, you are part of an estimated 18 per cent of the world’s population is prone to sleepwalking. While most cases simply consist of sitting up in bed, there are a number of documented cases of eating, bathing and even driving and committing murder while sleeping. The sleep disorder is more common in people with levels of stress and anxiety and among those with a family history of sleepwalking.
***
QUOTE of the day: I know where I’m going and I know the truth, and I don’t have to be what you want me to be. I’m free to be what I want. – Muhammad Ali
***
[email protected]