Lahanis remain confident

Sports

By ZACHERY PER
REIGNING Digicel Cup champions Bintangor Goroka Lahanis have started early preparations to defend the title.
Lahanis captain Gonzella Urakusie confirmed the team had started training, with the squad having taken on some exciting talent from the recent Simon Sia Super Nines.
“We have several new faces, good raw talent in the camp with the returning players getting ready to defend the cup we won last year,” Urakusie said.
“We have more than 50 boys in the squad but that will go down to a final 30 for the season.”
Urakusie said the squad had to recruit new talent after losing seven players in the off-season.
Urakusie was confident that the franchise still had enough talent and experience to defend the cup.
“We’ve got players like Charlie Buka, Pasu Awani, Norman Brown and Joseph Karara back in the squad so we’re still a strong side,” he said.
“We’ve lost Brendon Nima and Nicky Hasu who are with the Hunters while Baddy Jack and Gene Markham have joined Agmark Gurias and Amos Kafare, Tony Mark and John Arme Gand are with the Lae Tigers but we’re seeing that as a chance for the young talent in Goroka to come in.”
He thanked franchise owner Simon Sia for continuing his sponsorship this year promising that his side would do their best to go back-to-back.
Urakusie a former founding PNG Hunters forward assured the Lahanis fans that the team was intact and despite losing a several quality players as well as the coach Glen Nami they would still be a title contenders in 2019.