Kangal Festival part of opener

THE Unggai-Bena Kangal Festival will, for the first time, be part of the renowned Goroka Show this year.
The festival will be part of the opening ceremony of the Goroka Show at the National Sports Institute grounds on Independence Day.
It will involve more than 20 traditional singsing groups throughout the electorate and more than 200 dancers taking part.
The other event on the opening day on Friday will be the Agriculture Fair, which will be officially opened by Agriculture and Livestock Minister Tommy Tomscoll.
In announcing the involvement of the festival in Port Moresby on Monday, Unggai-Bena MP and Lands and Physical Planning Minister Benny Allan said the joint district planning and budget priorities committee had allocated K60,000 for the Kangal Festival.
“This is a unique event in the Bena area,” Allan said.
“We are bringing it to the public in Goroka to promote and preserve our cultural identity.
“Kangal is our tradition that is dying away.
“But through events such as this, we hope to revive the tradition and pass it onto our younger generation.”