Funding woes choke Mendi League

By MELTON PAIS
MENDI Rugby League Football League president Barclay Tenza has revealed that they have no funds to send representative teams to the Highlands Confederate championships next month.
Tenza said it was unfortunate that the league had no funds to do administrative work like maintaining their playing field and affiliating to the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League, as well as the registration of the players to the mother body.
“With the reasons outlined, we are asking PNGRFL if they could extend the time for us (Mendi league) to affiliate and register the 10 clubs and the players,” Tenza said.
“We need time.”
He said the league needed money to send sides (women’s, schoolboys Under-19, seniors) to the regional tournament.
“The authorities and community at large know very well that the league does its best to keep the young players intact but sadly there has been no financial support,” Tenza said.
He said the league had agreements with the two Digicel Cup franchises Mendi Muruks and Hela Wigman but attempts to get support from local business houses and the province’s MPs had been unsuccessful.
“Our Governor William Powi and Mendi Open MP De Kewanu made some pledges which we are still waiting on,” Tenza said.
Tenza said the league generated some revenue through collecting gate fees from Digicel Cup games hosted in the province.
He urged interested sponsors to get in touch with him.