Get support from all stakeholders

Letters, Normal
Source:

The National, Monday October 14th, 2013

 OUR pride as a nation was dented by the 50-10 drubbing in Kokopo by the Australian PM’s XIII  last month.

While I do not actually write off the Kumuls’ chances against Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand who are their only stumbling blocks. 

For a start, it is hypocritical for anyone from non-league provinces to criticise the Kumuls. 

For example, New Ireland and West New Britain have been without a proper rugby league competition for a number of years. 

Rugby should be played in all provincial centres so that it can be a national game.

Why I am saying this is because Island zones used to produce some of the best league players. 

Those players were only playing for the love of the game and were not paid semi-professional players like nowadays. 

The NRL is indirectly enjoying the following of we puppets in Papua New Guinea, who are ignorantly adoring the “godly” figures in Australia’s  professional competition. 

So what can be done to avoid future results that will continue to affect our pride as a rugby league playing nation with the game generally recognised as our national sport? 

We must have support from all stakeholders of the game. 

Government agencies that can help must do the following: 

  • The government should set up at least three rugby league and rugby union academies in the country and provide continuous funding;
  • Three more rugby league stadiums should be built in Mt Hagen, Lae and Kokopo while all provincial governments should have their own sporting stadiums in their respective provinces capable of accommodating big games; and
  • The government should support the junior development programmes by funding it through the Department of Sport, national planning and education. 

We Papua New Guineans should go back to our roots and see how our warriors used to prepare themselves before going to war with their enemies. 

There were strict taboos observed so as to enable themselves to be victories. 

In most parts of the New Guinea Islands, there were special meals provided to the warriors which had herbal powers. 

A lot of people nowadays will say that it is a pagan way, but let me ask them about who created the plants and inspired wise thinkers (Buaimans) to invent these? Was it not the creator himself? 

These preparations are spiritual in nature because when our ancestors were yet to know God during their times, there were good spirits who inspired these into people’s minds, and these good spirits was God manifesting himself by doing good deeds for our forefathers. 

I conclude by saying that I am just another patriotic citizen voicing my agony at being second best, so I am just contributing my thoughts for people in authority to take note of and do something about it.

 

Ignasius Purmanil

Lihir Island