K5 million upgrade for NSI

By ZACHERY PER
SPORTS Minister Justin Tkatchenko opened a new multi-purpose indoor sports complex at the National Sports Institute  (NSI) in Goroka over the weekend.
Tkatchenko was accompanied by Eastern Highlands Governor Jullie Soso and PNG Sports Foundation (PNGSF) executive director Iammo Launa and chairman Graham Osborne.
The institute is the only school that offers a foundation for sports development in PNG.
“Courses offered at the institute through sports education and physical education form the building blocks for future sportsmen and sportswomen,” Tkatchenko said.
He singled out sprint star Toea Wisil and Paralympian Francis Kompaon as products of the institute.
He commended the government and PNGSF for collaborating to fund the a new complex to be constructed at the cost of K5 million.
“If PNG expects better results internationally, facilities at NSI must be able to meet international standards. “The 2015 Pacific Games is around the corner, therefore it’s a must to improve facilities here.”
He said the new indoor sports complex should be ready for training and use by elite athletes in the 2015 Pacific Games.
Launa said there was no major refurbishment to facilities at NSI since its construction in 1979, until an allocation was made for that purpose in 2009.
She said they pushed for more funding from the government but other facilities such as the Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby and Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium in Lae were given priority previously.
Launa thanked the Department of National Planning and Monitoring for providing support funding.
“I have asked for more funding which will help the national facilities at the provincial and district levels as well,” Launa said.
She thanked Tkatchenko for accepting the invitation to come to Goroka for the two occasions.
Governor Soso expressed her gratitude for the long-awaited improvements to the institute.
She said her provincial government would also support the institute as it was a major facility in the province.