Help for the right reasons

 By JACK AMI

HEALTH Minister Michael Malabag said  people should not politicise and compromise sports for short term gain during the opening of the Tatana Araira Volleyball tournament.

Malabag warned the community to be cautious about opportunistic sponsors, who wanted to use sports as a political tool.

Major sponsors Malabag, Nick and Bonnie Allan along with Tatana village leaders tossed off the  games last Wednesday. 

The event has 21 male and eight female teams taking part.

Malabag said that as the Moresby North-West MP and one of the major sponsors chipping in K20,000, he had an obligation and commitment to sports in his electorate.

He  said he has so far allocated K60,000 for the Tatana Araira Volleyball Tournament to raise the standard and level of the code in the village and National Capital District. “I will continue to support the event as the MP responsible but not only Tatana but throughout the electorate.

He said the sportsmen and women in Tatana urgently needed sporting facilities and he was committed, along with NCD Governor Powes Parkop, to honour that through counter-funding.

Nick and Bonnie Allan presented K10,000 to the committee headed by George Daera to stage the sixth annual event in the village.

Allan had committed K50,000 for five years through his family business to continue their generous support to the youths in the village.

He agreed with the Minister that Tatana urgently needed sporting facilities for their potential talents. 

Councilor Tom Lankan strongly appealed to the host players to change their attitude of bad sportsmanship to the visiting teams.

Lankan said sports were all about friendship and unity.