Highlands lauded for particpation

ORGANISERS have hailed the participation of Highlands associations in last weekend’s national boxing championships in Mumeng, Bulolo, Morobe.
Tournament coordinator Dick Larry told The National yesterday that the code was growing in the region with the formation of new associations across the seven provinces of the region.
“In the past, boxing was not so popular in the Highlands, Larry said.
“But now there are more associations.
“More fighters are registering which is good for boxing.
“I was happy with boxers from Goroka and Chimbu.
“They were very competitive.
“But unfortunately, they didn’t win much medals.
“There were also some good boxers from Mt Hagen and Enga.
“The main goal behind hosting championships is to see boxing grow and providing the platform for upcoming boxers to come showcase their talents.
“I believe with more support from business houses and individuals in those respective centres, we will see more youths participating in future.”
Larry said there were six associations that missed out on the championships despite confirming their participation.
“There were a number of associations who couldn’t make it to the championships and most of them are from Southern,” he said.
“They had confirmed they were going to travel to Bulolo, but that didn’t go as planned due to some late issues with their sponsors.
“It was a setback because they were definitely going to field good fights.”