Dick: Subsidise city venue costs

A SPORTS administrator is appealing to the Pacific Games Authority to help subsidise the cost of temporary venues for sports associations and clubs in the capital city.
NCDC manager community and social services Kila Dick said sporting venues for codes like volleyball and swimming at the Taurama Leisure Centre were off limits because of major construction work for the new multimillion kina state-of-the-art Taurrama Aquatic Centre and Indoor Sports Complex.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held last week to start work.
Dick said the major construction work was being done in preparation for the 2015 Pacific Games that Port Moresby would host.
The two main sports played at TLC are volleyball and swimming.
“Athletes, sports clubs and associations are now forced to look for al­ternate venues, which will be a costly exercise as some venues will be highly charged by private institutions,” Dick said.
He said the Fairfax Volleyball Association was one such association that used the TLC volleyball courts for its competitions and training but would now have to look for an alternate venue.
“We’ve secured a venue for volleyball at Murray Barracks but they are charging us K300 per weekend, K200 for Saturday and K100 for Sunday,” he said.
He said they had paid K100 per court annually at the TLC.
He said Bava Park for rugby and cricket, and Bisini Parade for soccer and netball were in the government’s plans for major redevelopment and would soon be closed to the public.
“Clubs and associations for these venues will be affected just like those at TLC,” he said.
He appealed to the Games committee to help them.