Eight sides to rep SHP at CCIC

 By JAMES APA GUMUNO

SOUTHERN Highlands (SHP) will send eight teams to  the Coca-Cola Ipatas Cup starting next month.

Ipatas Cup trials sponsored by Lorma construction in Mendi which commenced last month attracted 16 teams from Magarima, Nipa, Poroma, Imbongu, Upper Mendi, Lower Mendi and Mendi Central.

Two finalist, Olgo Butterflies and Onarep Tarangau will play the grand final for the Lorma Cup at Mendi’s Momei Oval today. 

The presentation of the shield, trophies and prize money to the winners and runners-up will take place tomorrow .

Ipatas Cup chairman  for SHP Stanley Hondina told The National yesterday that two other teams, Mendi Dwellers and Magani Sharks who finished 3rd and 4th in the trials also qualified for the Ipatas Cup.

Hondina said that Hela and Imbongu will also send their grand finalists to the Ipatas Cup after their trials this weekend.

Lorma construction manager Sape Molumi said the company was only too happy to provide a shield and trophies for the teams in Mendi playing in the trials because the Ipatas Cup was such a popular competition in the province and the region.

Molumi said that this was not the first that Lorma came in to sponsor the pre trial match.

He said Lorma started its support of the competition in 2007 with the Buiebi competition outside Mendi and was now one of the major sponsors of the Ipatas Cup trials covering the eastern half of the province.

Meanwhile, Lorma Cup CEO Jossy Ato also appealed to business houses in Mendi to support the competition as it would add value to the concept and bring in more teams and players.