Ipatas Cup finals venues changed

By MELTON PAIS
THE venues of the Coca-Cola Ipatas Cup Eastern and Western End finals have been changed to ensure neutrality for all finalists.
CCIC chief executive officer Timothy Lepa announced this yesterday, saying the chance of violence and intimidation was always there when a team was playing on its home ground.
“After examining those issues, we have decided to change the finals format particularly with where games are played,” Lepa said.
“By doing so, we believe that we will minimise the chance for violence and other threatening behaviours by players and supporters.
“We will not give any gold pass winning teams a home ground advantage.
“In order to balance our finals games in the second week this month, we will disperse all the finals with the gold pass winners from the Eastern End that comprises teams from Port Moresby, Lae, Central, East Sepik, New Guinea Islands and Morobe legs playing in in Goroka.
“While the all the Highlands leg teams that make up the Western End challenge will have two venues, Minj in Jiwaka and Wapenamanda in Enga.
Lepa said the gold pass winners from Simbu, Jiwaka and Western Highlands challenge will play their finals in Wapenamanda while the gold pass winners from Enga, Goroka and Southern Highlands would play their finals in Minj, Jiwaka.
“This arrangement was done to give a fair go to the gold pass winners without giving a certain team home ground advantage,” Lepa said.
Lepa said after the completion of the Eastern and Western End finals, the grand final would be staged in Lae in the first weekend of February.