Cricket PNG backs Coalition for Change

By ISAAC LIRI
CRICKET PNG signed a memorandum of understanding with non-governmental organisation Coalition for Change yesterday at Amini Park, Port Moresby.
CFC chairman Lanna Kami said the signing was a milestone as Cricket PNG embarked on continuing to being a sport that supported positive change in schools and communities.
Kami said her organisation decided to partner Cricket PNG after realising that the sport had become gender inclusive with commitment to both their national teams — Barramundis (men) and Lewas (women).
PNG is the top nation — in men’s and women’s — in the East Asia Pacific (excluding Australia and New Zealand).
“Cricket is also family-orientated and I’d say it’s one of the best platforms in sports for us to be able to promote and become an advocate in helping Cricket PNG and what they do in the schools,” Kami said.
“The programmes run by Cricket PNG focus on education and are very community based and despite the fact that we’re doing the signing now, work between CFC and Cricket PNG has been ongoing in the recent years.
“For instance, we’ve seen Cricket PNG and its partners help young kids and women and we think that those avenues are good that’s why we’re signing this MoU.”
Cricket PNG’s Liklik Cricket programme continues to be one of the largest programmes in the Pacific in terms of bringing the sport to schools and introducing the basics of the sport to children.
“We’ve seen that Cricket PNG has ensured that its contracted players in the national teams are accountable for their behaviour which gives us that confidence to be partners and support them,” she said.
“We are not only looking to help physically but mentally and socially as well.” The MoU will see both organisations working collaboratively using Cricket to raise awareness on gender-based violence and other social issues affecting society.
Cricket PNG chief executive officer Greg Campbell said they considered the programme an important one as they continued to visit schools and communities because port wanted to advocate to positive change. “This partnership will make our cricketers become role models and as a sporting organisation we will work closely with the Coalition for Change over the next two years.