Five teams confirm participation in softball comp

FIVE teams have confirmed to compete in softball which is expected to start on Thursday at the Sasindran Muthuvel Stadium in the San Remo Sports Precinct.
Competition manager Moses Tolingling said it was disappointing to see top centres such as NCD not taking part.
Men’s defending champions East New Britain will face a strong challenge from Northern, Morobe, Madang and hosts West New Britain. NCD had pulled out of the sport, leaving it wide open for those chasing the title.
In the women’s competition, the situation is similar because  reigning champions New Ireland withdrew, leaving  Lae, Madang, East New Britain, Morobe and Northern  to fight it out.
Tolingling said the organising committee was putting some finishing touches on the two softball diamonds top be used.
He called on the PNG Games Council and the PNG Sports Foundation to come up with some disciplinary measures on teams that failed to meet the requirement to travel to such national sporting competitions.
“Such sporting competitions provide an avenue for national sports federations to identify their talents and nurture them to become future representatives in whatever sports they take up,” he said.