Fees too high: Potuan

 By HENRY MORABANG

A call has been made to the Papua New Guinea Sports Foundation and the National Sports Trust Limited to initiate proper lease agreements with sports for the use of the sporting facilities in Port Moresby.

At the moment, there is nothing concrete on paper to charge sporting codes for the use of the facilities at Sir John Guise Stadium and the Bisini Sports Precinct. 

PNG Hockey Federation president Kaluwin Potuan said that it was six months after the Pacific Games and a lease agreement for the Sir John Guise Stadium’s sporting venues was nonexistent.

He said the trust’s marketing executive Ako Maniana told him that it would cost the PNG Hockey Federation or the Port Moresby Hockey Association K1280 per weekend (Saturday and Sunday), at a rate of K80 per hour for eight hours a day. The rate was inclusive of water, lights and the use of the facilities, including the playing turf and the outer grass field.

Potuan said the charges were too much for the small sporting association, which depended on club and players’ registration fees to run the competition.

“Mind you, the competition will run for eight months.

“Where can a small hockey association finds its money?” Potuan said.

He asked both organisations how they had come up with such high rates for the sporting fields.

It is understood that the Port Moresby Athletics Association is in a dilemma over the use of the track because of the high charges.

Attempts to contact the Maniana were unsuccessful.