Deadline

ALL provincial teams, except NCD, have until Sept 30 to register athletes with the  PNG Games organising committee.
Committee chairman Sir Rabbie Namaliu said the information was vitally important to make competition draws, allocate competition venues, logistics planning and support services.
Teams that do not meet the deadline will be excluded.

Defending champion, Team NCD is the only Provincial Team that has submitted names of its 500 plus athletes and officials.
The HOC had extended the deadline twice so far and this would be the third after provinces failed to meet the first deadline of July 31 and that was extended to August 30, last week.
Sir Rabbie made a special appeal to the provinces to comply with this important requirement by submitting names of their athletes before or by deadline, adding any provincial teams that fail to do so would be dropped.
He pointed out that the Games was drawing close and his committee needed the information as confirmation of participation by Provincial teams and most importantly, for the HOC to start planning draws and allocation of fields as well as other logistic planning.
Sir Rabbie declared and re-assured the nation that ENB was ready to deliver the Games and urged all province teams to come for the Games.
There has been a lot of progress made at the main Kokopo (Takubar) Sports Facility since the last visit by Sport Minister Justin Tkatchenko and PNG Sports Foundation executive director Iammo Launa two weeks ago.
The main athletic track has been fully completed, the netball, the basketball and volleyball courts have been laid, concreted and completed and ready for post and nets to be put up.
Two softball diamonds, and two hockey fields have also been completed and fast growing grass been planted while the aussie rules field will be grassed this week.
The temporary grand stand at the main arena was being built and should be completed by the end of this month.
Sir Rabbie said maintenance and upgrading works in all district venues were progressing well and would be ready for marking by October.
He said the HOC was encouraged by reports from PNG Sports Foundation official now attached to the HOC secretariat confirming that the District venues were of good standards.
Chairman thanked the national government for approving K4.4 million which should ease the transport problem being faced by the provinces to ensure they attend the Games.
He also thanked ENB Governor Ereman ToBaining Junior for pledging K500,000 to the HOC, K200,000 to Team ENB and K1million for improvement of feeder roads to Games venues around ENB.