Lahari says Erema’s win boosted confidence of GPST

Sports

THE success of PRK Erema Gulf FC in the inaugural Football Federation PNG Champions League has lifted the confidence of the Gulf Provincial Sports Trust (GPST).
Chief executive Lawrence Lahari said the sporting body, which was formed last October to foster Gulf’s sporting interests, saw the Champions League triumph as a stepping stone for better things to come.
PRK Erema FC beat Welgris Morobe United FC 4-3 in the grand final in Lae over the weekend.
“The win means confidence, transparency and good governance, words corporate organisations want to hear,” Lahari said.
“It shows that if you manage a team properly, whether professional or amateur, they should be able to do well.
He said Erema had painted a positive image of Gulf to perform well in football and other sports, provided there is proper support.
“It’s a priority to improve junior development in the province,” Lahari said.
“The win has catapulted the sport, through the Trust, to quickly have things organised for junior football development.
“We have plans already in place.
“In fact, we will launch our corporate plan shortly which maps out how we plan to develop, not just football but all sports.
Lahari said Erema’s success has challenged the Trust to work even harder to maintain the standard it had set as it moves into the future.
The Trust is mainly funded by the Gulf government where all the money set aside to assist sports in the province goes straight to the body.
Corporate sponsorship and revenue generated by Erema and Gulf Isou (rugby league) are other funding sources.