Comset clinch Lae leg of PM’s Corporate Golf Challenge

By LARRY ANDREW
DESPITE rain, 20 teams completed the Lae leg of the Prime Minister’s Corporate Golf Challenge at the Lae Golf Club, with Goroka’s Comset winning the tournament.
The PM’s Corporate Golf Challenge, sponsored by The National, is a major fundraising event on the Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee calendar to raise money for Team PNG to take part in the Pacific Games and other major international sports events.
Team PNG chef de mission Emma Waiwai, who teed off the challenge, said the event was made possible with the support of many people and organisations.
She said the tournament was played in the true spirit of sportsmanship.
“On behalf of the PNGOC, president Sir John Dawanincura and the rest of my colleagues and the secretariat, I want to express our gratitude to all the teams for taking part in the event today (Friday) and supporting Team PNG,” Waiwai said.
“Team PNG is our number one team with athletes from all parts of the country including Morobe.
“In Samoa when the games take place in 38 days, we’ll be competing in the majority of the 28 sports on offer.”
Waiwai said a team of 500, including athletes and officials, was big and the biggest challenge was ensuring that there was enough money to send the team to Apia.
She said the goal was to win a Pacific Games on foreign soil.
“Hosting the games in PNG, we came out on top in 1991 and 2015 Games and it’s a big challenge but we also want to finish first in Samoa so the athletes who are going there are the best of the best,” she said.
“They’ll be going as ambassadors of this country and I know that they’ll be coming back with many medals.”
Waiwai acknowledged The National as one of the event’s sponsors along with Ela Motors, Air Niugini, Coral Sea Hotels, Coca-Cola, Trophy Haus, Theodist, Laga Industries and SP Brewery.