C’ships set for Queen’s Birthday weekend

By PISAI GUMAR
THE Football Federation of Papua New Guinea (FFPNG) Northern conference club championships are set for the Queen’s Birthday weekend (June 8-11) in Lae.
FFPNG aspires to expose raw soccer talents in the districts to participate in such championships to excel in the code.
However, host organising chairman John Peka said he was disappointed over a lack of communication to reach interested clubs in Madang, East and West Sepik that have missed out on the tournament.
“I want to talk soccer on the field, and not politics,” Peka said.
Instead, only 18 clubs in Morobe paid their affiliation fee of K300 which was due last Friday.
FFPNG president John Kapi Natto appointed Peka to oversee the tournament.
The other committee members are James Kabi (match commissioner), Aaron Mugaliong (tournament coordinator), Gidas Bayung (referee coordinator), Ignas Kavani (secretary), Jacob Mathew (assistant match commissioner) and Otti Atu (referee supervisor).
Peka said the Highlands, Southern and the New Guinea Islands conferences would be run concurrently in Goroka, Port Moresby and Kokopo.
He said the Lae Football Association and Lahi would field eight teams, of which four were women’s sides.
East and West Sepik, Madang and other districts in Morobe will field a women’s and men’s team each.
The teams are expected in Lae on June 7 to attend a technical management meeting at the LFA conference hall.
Peka said prizes included cash and trophies for the winning teams, and cash for the runners-up, third and fourth places.