Men’s, women’s hockey teams start training for Oceania Cup

By PARKER TAMBUA
THE national men’s and women’s fives hockey teams have started training in preparation for the Oceania Cup in Rockhampton, Australia, on Sept 5.
Ranked third in Oceania behind Australia and New Zealand, PNG are made up of experienced hands with a few players who will be making their international debuts.
According to women’s coach Sapau Tapo, nine players for each team have been selected from Lae, Rabaul and Port Moresby.
Speaking in Port Moresby last week, Tapo said the teams were undergoing intensive training and they were prepared for the tournament.
“The skill level and preparation has been boosted over the last three years due to the new turf and facilities here in Port Moresby. The experience our players gained using such facility is a positive for us and I am confident our team will do well,” he said.
PNG Hockey Federation president Kaluwin Potuan said they were aiming for PNG to be a force in Oceania alongside Australia and New Zealand.
Potuan said although they were facing financial challenges, he was pleased with the support of business houses like Lae Biscuit Company.
“I want to thank Lae Biscuit Company for supporting us with K25,000 in cash and kind,” he said.
“We will be using that for preparations and also thanks to the Oceania Hockey Federation for assisting us with logistics in terms of paying for our accommodation and visa fees.”
The tournament will feature PNG, Tonga and the Solomon Islands.