Eliab plays softball, stays away from team

 FORMER SP Hunters captain Israel Eliab is passing his time in Port Moresby taking up his favourite, pastime softball with the Yokomo club’s  A  grade in the city competition.

With softball the most popular bat and ball sport for East New Britons it was not surprising to see the Kumul swinging for the fence at the new Bisini Softball Diamonds over the weekend.

While waiting for visa clearance to play professional football in the United Kingdom’s Kingstone Press Championship, the 25-year-old is keeping  fit and trying out his softball skills.

Yokomo softball club official Ralph Tarasomo confirmed that Eliab had registered to play for the club.

“He is just passing time to keep fit, playing softball before he flies to London,” Tarasomo said.

But the news has not impressed Hunters coach Michael Marum, who expressed his disappointment at his former charge’s treatment of the Queensland Cup side.

“We don’t really know what’s happening with Israel. He hasn’t kept in touch with us even though we did invite him to continue training with us while waiting to travel to England,” Marum said.

“We don’t want to dwell on it (Eliab’s behaviour to the Hunters) but it is poor treatement from a former Hunters captain.”

Marum has a case to feel he and the Hunters were not given the respect by one of their best players despite his departure to the next stage of his career.

“At this stage we don’t know what the delay is exactly with the Israel’s travel to the UK but he should at least come and see us after all the time and effort we’ve put in  his development over the last few years.”

Marum said he was concerned that many representative rugby players were exhibiting poor attitudes to their training and careers because they had the “mi bikpela tumas” mentaility.

“It’s an attitude problem that unfortunately many of our players have,” Marum said.