Moroi opens MCA finals

A RARE red carpet treatment was given to Central province Governor Alphonse Moroi, when he visited Makerupu village in the Rigo district last Friday.
The governor was caught by surprise when youths hoisted him onto a podium and carried him some 100m to the cricket ground where a red carpet was laid out for him to walk to the stage to officially open the grand final games of the Makerupu Cricket Association (MCA).
Makerupu councilor and president of the Rigo Coast LLG, Renagi Kila, said his people were happy with the continuous support of the Central provincial government provided for social activities in the Rigo coast area.
Kila said the support by the provincial authority coupled with the people’s own initiative had enabled the district to produce some of the country’s best sportsmen and women.
“Executive director of PNG Sports Foundation and former athlete, Iamo Launa, from Kalo village is an example of a successful sportswoman Rigo has produced,” he said.
Moroi, who launched the grand finals by bowling the first ball of the day before the women’s game, spoke highly of the skills that sportsmen and women from Rigo possessed, which he also acknowledged as among the best in the country.
He also told the crowd that his provincial government was now first in terms of service delivery out of the 19 provinces in the country, having risen from its position of 17 before it came to power five years ago after the national elections.
“We are doing our best to provide goods and services with the little money we receive from the national government, and we appreciate Dr Nao Badu, and his fiscal and economic commission for rating our performance as the best in the country,” he said.
Moroi gave K10,000 to the Makerupu cricket association to cover the costs of the grand final games while Launa also presented cricket equipment to the teams in the village.
The grand finals were played between Panapana and Barramandis in the women’s division and the men’s grand final was between Panapana and Dolphins.