Federation, association agree to sort out issues affecting soccer

FOOTBALL Federation of Papua New Guinea and PNG Football Association have agreed to sort out outstanding issues surrounding the sport in the country.
It is understood that both factions have begun communicating with each other.
In a press conference yesterday, FFPNG’s John Kapi Natto, also president of the suspended PNGFA member association of Hekari, agreed to deliberations with conditions regarding issues of compliance adherence to the PNGFA statutes.
Kapi Natto said they would have to revisit the 2016 congress and assess the PNGFA operations to date to determine whether all member associations, including those that are suspended, had abided by the statutes.
“PNGFA has now called on all of us — the suspended associations — to meet and talk with them,” Kapi Natto said.
“It is a way forward. When we go back and sit down on the round table, we want to be assured that the compliance issues will be sorted out.”
In a statement, John Wesley Gonjuan, who took over the PNGFA presidency following the resignation of David Chung this week, said: “Member associations that were suspended in 2016 must come forward and communicate with the PNGFA Secretariat to rectify their issues and comply with the PNGFA statutes requirements.
“The finding of the electoral committee investigation which led to recommendation for suspensions needed to be addressed to develop a way forward for the uplifting and re-instalment of the member associations’ status.
“PNGFA has sent out numerous letters to those associations to work with the mother body and rectify the issues but have received negative response.”
Gonjuan said the PNGFA would meet today to set a deadline on the process.
Meanwhile, the suspended associations, most of which make up FFPNG, appealed for the compliance issues to be the key agendas of the discussions.
“If PNGFA is calling us on compliance issues, everybody is subjected to the compliance issues,” Kapi Natto said.
“It’s not only the suspended associations.
“I am appealing to them to all come together, sit down and look at the compliance issues.
“If we look at the compliance issues on both sides, we can agree together then call for an ordinary congress, so the chances of having a fresh elections can be an agenda.
“If PNGFA does not agree to sort of the issues of compliance, will go to OFC and Fifa.”
In the meantime, PNGFA remains as the legitimate national body in the country recognised by OFC and Fifa.