Committee to find another venue for show

 THE Goroka Agriculture Show will look for an alternative venue this year because the National Sports Institute has been engaged for a sports training.

The institute will be hosting the FIFA Under-20 women’s national team preparing for the World Cup at the end of the year.

The show committee received the letter yesterday from NSI director Janet Gimots saying they (organisers) should have a venue to host the show.

Chairperson of the show Keryn Hargreaves was disappointed.

Hargreaves said the Goroka Show belonged to the people of Eastern Highlands and such comments were  sensitive, especially regarding the land where NSI was situated.

“The people of Goroka are not happy about the remarks made by Gimots because it is not an easy task to find a land overnight,” Hargreaves said.

She said the committee understood that NSI had its own activities but the popular Goroka Show had been held at the institute for the last 59 years for only three days.

“And we are sure the three days will not affect the U-20 women’s teams if they take time off.

The executive committee of the show wants the minister for sports and tourism to intervene and allow the show to go ahead at NSI.”

She said tourists had already arranged to come  to the show with hotels and guest houses in Goroka fully booked out.