Davani: Ball is in administrators’ court

By JULIA DAIA BORE
SPORTS administrators must ensure that their respective codes are properly run for the benefit of all its athletes, says National Court judge Catherine Davani.
She was particularly critical of the PNG Rugby Football League fraternity for their continuing in-fighting and in the process had forgotten to develop the code as its constitution required.
Davani said this last Friday when ruling that last November’s election of Bryan Kramer as chairman of PNGRFL was null and void.
“The sports administrator is elected by the athletes to represent them to properly run the affairs of the sporting body so that they will get to participate in sports both at home and abroad.
“For a lot of young Papua New Guineans, sports is the only way they get exposure to the outside world.
“With the exception of two or three sporting codes, it is indeed sad that little or nothing at all is done by a majority of sports to assist their internationally-based athletes.”
Davani exemplified visa requirements.
She said this was because their focus was only on programmes at home.
“Again, with the exception of two or three sporting codes, without naming names, at least two largest sporting codes in PNG are besieged by in-fighting which has done nothing to assist the athletes.”
She singled out rugby league as a code that should already have gone past this stage and should now be very professional in the running of its affairs because its constitution makes provision for that.
“The constitution makes provision to assist players who want to play with overseas clubs. “It also makes it mandatory that for a senior league to be affiliated to the PNGRFL; that, it must have an U 21 grade and to conduct a junior rugby league competition to consist of six to nine-year-olds, nine to 10-year-olds and under 12s, 13s, 15s, 17s and 19s (clause 4.16).
“However, although provided for in the constitution, I do not see any evidence of that,” Davani said.
But she commended rugby league for having these provisions in its constitution aimed at young talent. “I doubt if the constitution of other sports has similar provisions, except for one or two sporting codes,” she added
Davani said the constitution also makes provisions for leagues to ensure that when affiliating, they must provide copies of their constitution and by-laws, a sketch plan of the grounds upon which their competitions will be conducted and include details of ownership of such grounds.
She added, however, this was a provision that all sporting bodies must aspire to adopt because it demonstrates that sports are professionally run and that there are available facilities for that affiliates.