Hockey gets help to pay levy fees

THE National Gaming Control Board (NGCB) gave K150,000 to the PNG Hockey Federation on Tuesday to pay the levies for the men’s and women’s teams to the Oceania Cup in Fiji.
NGCB chairman  Qwenten Cholai presented a cheque to the PNGHF in Port Moresby although no media was present at the time.
It is understood that the PNGHF had requested financial assistance to help them attend the tournament next month.
Cholai reportedly said the money was earmarked for levy fees.
The federation had  imposed a K3,000 levy fee for players and management but the windfall is set to cover all team members and officials.
It is understood that the PNGHF had maintained the levy fee inspite of the sponsorship.
But the levy fee can now be dropped while members who had paid the levy could be refunded.
Flex Diapong of the NGCB confirmed that K150,000 was given to the PNG Hockey Federation on Tuesday by chairman Cholai in Port Moresby.
However, sources from Port Moresby hockey claimed the PNGHF continued to impose the levy on players.
They are querying what the K150,000 was to be used for.
PNGHF executive Thomas Kahai, who holds a senior position at the PNG Sports Foundation, is yet to also explain how the presentation of such a substantial amount was not covered by the media.
Furthermore Diapong did not give a clear reason why the media was not invited to the presentation yesterday.
Nevertheless, he did say that PNGHF could use the money as they saw fit and not necessarily for its intended purpose.
Probable reasons for the absence of the media at Tuesday’s presentation could have been due to a misunderstanding on who (NGCB or PNGHF) was supposed to organise the media coverage or the presentation being done at short notice.
Sources said it was a significant amount of money for a  sport like hockey which had a small following and player base.
Therefore transparency and accountability when accepting and managing large sums in sponsorship should be the pri­ority for the PNGHF they said.
The sum is purportedly the largest single donation to the PNG Hockey Federation by the National Gaming Control Board.
Attempts to get Cholai’s comments were unsuccessful.