Money spent but no results, Lepa says

 THE current Papua New Guinea Kumuls are well backed financially but are not producing the goods.

Ipatas Cup chief executive officer and Enga Mioks coach Timothy Lepa said this when reacting to the 38-4 loss to Samoa yesterday. 

Lepa (pictured) believes there is a lot of money being invested in Team Kumuls but there was little to show for it.

“Although the programme is for a five-year period at least there should have been some improvement in the team’s performance,” he said.

 “For the first time in the history of rugby league in the country the current PNG Kumuls will have received a large sum of money, more than ever before by the government’s corporate business arms,” he said.

So far, the governments’ registered entities like the National Gaming Control Board (NGCB) and Air Niugini have already confirmed sponsoring the Kumuls a total of K3.5 million –NGCB gave K2 million while Air Niugini sponsored a K1.5 million package.

“PNG LNG Ltd has also given their support which is believed to be more than K2 million. The figures were not announced during the official sponsorship deal this year,” Lepa said.

Lepa said PNG Power are also mooted to come on board with another K1.5 million to beef up the Kumuls campaign. “I believe that sponsorship if it goes through is for the five-year deal like the other sponsors that have come on board,” he said.

Lepa said he came across PNG IPA records on Team Kumul Limited and PNG Rugby League Foundation.

“The Kumuls is managed by a company called Team Kumuls Limited – a registered company in which the sole shareholder is a prominent member of parliament (named),” he said.

“It was also found that the minister is also the shareholder of another company called PNG Rugby League Foundation Ltd according to the company’s registry at PNGIPA,” Lepa added. 

“It begs the question for a potential sponsor in PNG Power to clarify how their K1.5 million sponsorship deal with Team Kumuls will be spent,” he said.

The MP is the sole shareholder of two companies associated with the sport of rugby league namely “Team Kumuls Ltd” and “PNG Rugby League Foundation Ltd” according to the company registry at the Investment Promotion Authority (IPA).