Koime recognised for efforts offcourt

Sports

ENGAGING with communities using sport as a vehicle is the mission and vision for Delisha Koime Liri.
As a sports administrator with basketball last year, the 27-year old is now honoured to be recognised as one of the finalists for the SP Sports Awards National Performance of the Year category.
Koime Liri from Baimuru in Gulf worked behind the scenes with the Basketball Federation of PNG
(BFPNG) to engage with communities through the AusAID-funded Hoops for Health programme.
She was also heavily involved with administration work that helped BFPNG and its partners host the inaugural FIBA Melanesian Cup last year in Port Moresby which was won by PNG’s men’s and women’s team.
“I was shocked when I heard that I was announced as one of the finalists for the awards,” she said.
“I am glad that some people actually recognise how hard sports administrators work behind the scenes to ensure sporting events and programmes function well and are successful.
“I think basketball had a very successful year in 2017 with community engagement programmes.
“We had the Mums are Hero’s programme that included women to be actively involved in the communities through sports.
“We also had the Twilight programme that included school kids and basically families that came along and took part in BFPNG activities.
“During our programmes social messages like gender based violence, healthy living and education were promoted.
Koime Liri is no longer with BFPNG and is now attached with High Performance Sport PNG.
She comes from a family that is heavily involved with sports.
Her eldest sister is renowned female sprinter Mae Koime, who held the women’s national record in 100 metres for eight years and was also finalist of the SP Sports Awards in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
Other family members include men’s basketball national reps Apia, Purari and Dia Muri.
In the National Performance of the Year award, she is up against the NCD Men’s Cricket team and the Port Moresby softball Association women’s team Gold.
The finalists will gather at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Port Moresby for the presentation night on May 26.