Madang needs to take sports to the next level

MANY provinces are gearing up for the PNG Games and seriously trying to rival one another for the title of the top sporting province in the country.
Undoubtedly, NCD and Morobe will be at it again, challenging each other while West New Britain will also be in serious contention for the title.
It is so good to see political leaders of these provinces come out and support their teams and provide the necessary support.
One province that I have often thought will break into the winners circle in the past games is Madang but this has not been so.
Madang’s best result was in 2009 when it finished seventh overall.
Since then, it has been the “tourist team” with no purpose and determination to produce results.
Madang is yet to finalise its overall team and seriously train for the games.
The team management does not seem to know their roles and responsibilities, and often you see them interfere with the coaches and code managers.
They also lack a good database of athletes and technical officials that are available for them to work together to better team Madang.
Basically, the sports coordinators and the sports officials in the province do not know what they are doing and do not know how they can develop sports in the province.
In many cases, they have let down the sporting bodies and athletes in the province to fend for their own.
In 2016, the Madang basketball team was left stranded in Port Moresby for almost two weeks.
The Fifa U-20 team had eight Madang girl, including the coach, and yet no support came from the sports office last year.
The sporting bodies and athletes in Madang should rise up and demand change.

Sports Sapota, Via email