Miners make play-offs

By GABRIEL LAHOC
THE Bulolo Armsec Miners and Tom Kune Trading Kamkumung Crushers have booked their finals playoff berths in the Coca-Cola Ipatas Cup after the Eastern end elimination in Lae last Sunday.
Newcomers Miners will face off with Wabag Spy Knights, while former premiers Crushers will battle with Mendi Wantok Trading Off Cuts, who will look to defend their title this Saturday in Mendi.
The Eastern end elimination in Lae saw a capacity crowd joined by the competition patron and Enga Governor Peter Ipatas for the elimination of the best teams from Lae, Madang, Port Moresby, Goroka and Kokopo.
The Miners, led by captain and former Mendi Muruks forward No­bert Kembo, are the dark horse of the competition, winning all matches so far.
They beat Bulldogs 10-8.
The Crushers, as the most experienced Lae team, used their vast experience of players, with more than half of the team already having played in the semi-professional Digicel Cup.
Despite the absence of Kumul prop Mark Mexico, Sydney Fred, Keary Tapako, Ishmael Balkawa and Mai Tom led the Curshers to another finals playoffs by beating Port Moresby’s Paga Panthers 7-0.
Competition Northern Zone coordinator Mona Tonsy Clyde said the women’s grand final would be on Saturday between Goroka Didiman Hardware Brumbies and Mt Hagen Kungpeng. The Miners will face the Offcuts, while Crushers will go against the Knights.
The winners qualify for the final, which will be kicked off by Minister for Sports and Pacific Games, Justin Tkatchenko.
The event will see the premiers walking away with K100,000, the runner-up getting K50,000, while the third and fourth placed teams get K30,000 and K20,000 respectively.