ENB gives K1.7m

Normal, Sports
Source:

The National, Wednesday 29th August, 2012

THE PNG  Games host organising committee (HOC) and Team ENB have received a financial boost totalling K1.7 million thanks to new East New Britain Governor Ereman ToBaining Jr.
Following a briefing by the host organising committee chairman Sir Rabbie Namaliu on Saturday, ToBaining announced that the ENB provincial government would provide K500,000 for staging of the Games, while K200,000 would be given to Team ENB.
The remaining  K1 million would go towards upgrading feeder roads leading to games venues in the districts.
ToBaining said the money would come from uncommitted District Services Improvement Programme (DSIP) funds not spent by the former Kokopo MP Patrick Tamur.
The money would be released this week.
He assured Sir Rabbie that the assistance was not the last and gave an undertaking to approach Prime Minister O’Neill to seek more funding.
Sir Rabbie advised the governor that facilities currently being developed at the Kokopo Sports Ground were being done under phase one of a proposed multi-sports stadium for the province and the entire New Guinea Island to an equivalent standard to that of Sir John Guise in Port Moresby track stadium for the Southern region, the Sir Ignatius Kialge Stadium in Lae for Momase and the National Sports Institute (NSI) in Goroka for Highlands region.
He said one reason ENB bid for the Games in 2009 was to use the opportunity to build a sporting infrastructure to replace the volcano-devastated Queen Elizabeth Park in Rabaul and develop a multi-sport stadium that would centralise sports and would also include a sports academy to develop and enhance sporting talents in the region.

He told the Governor that the design for phase two was already available and the committee is using the opportunity of the games to raise funds for phase two development.
Sir Rabbie acknowledged Governor Baining’s support and commended him for showing good leadership.