Government puts up K2 million for new track

 By ABIGAIL APINA

THE National Government through the Sports Ministry and the Papua New Guinea Sports Foundation has presented K2 million to East New Britain to build an athletics track.

Sports Minister Justin Tketchenko presented the money to the provincial government on Saturday at the Takubar Sports ground in Kokopo, before the second SP Hunters home game against the Central Queensland Capras at the Kalabond.

The K2 million was from the Sports Enhancement Programme, a special funding programme set up by the minister to cater for various sports funding needs such as infrastructural development and the maintenance; to run competitions and to fund teams and individual athletes from the districts.

Tketchenko said the government was aiming to improve sports facilities around the country.

“Not everything revolves around the National Capital District, it is vital to develop talent in other provinces,” Tkatchenko said.

It is understood that the request for a proper athletics track was submitted last year as part of the upgrading of the sports facility in Kokopo since the PNG Games in 2012.

Former Prime Minister and Kokopo MP and the current Chairman of the ENB Sports Foundation Sir Rabbie Namaliu said there were plans to upgrade the existing facility in Kokopo into a proper “up to standard” sports academy for the New Guinea Islands region.

He added that ENB and the Islands region would be prioritising athletics as the region had produced and was producing representative athletes not just in track and field but other sports as well.

“In order for athletes to perform well, they need proper facilities for training and competition. People in East New Britain and in the region are sports loving people and deserve proper facilities,” Sir Rabbie said.