NCD primed for Kokopo

Normal, Sports
Source:

Then National, Wednesday 12th September, 2012

TEAM NCD has thanked all business houses in the nation’s capital for their support in the team’s fundraising endeavours.
Those efforts will see the defending champions take a large contingent to the PNG Games in Kokopo, East New Britain, next month.
The grassroots games has reached new heights and is no longer a small event in terms of financial support from the government.
Previous games have been staged in Eastern Highlands, Morobe and NCD but had not recieved substantial support from the state.
This year’s event has seen more than K5 million in funding and grants.
NCD deputy city manager Honk Kiap said the Games had reached a peak, gaining widespread recognition from the private and public sectors.
The government set the tone by allocating over K4 million into Kokopo Games and this was expected to increase for the 2014 event.
Team NCD won the last PNG Games held in Port Moresby in 2009.
Since then the NCD sports office had continued to maintain development and talent identification programmes in order to keep their edge heading into the New Britain isles.
NCD finished with 40 gold, 25 silver and 35 bronze for a total of 100 medals to be the best province in 2009.
The team is working closely with grassroots sports, the NCD Suburban Sports Association where a majority of the athletes have come from.
“We have met all our requirements, and also finalised the team and they have been in full training for the last four weeks before their departure on an Air Niugini charter to Kokopo,” Kiap said.
He said the feeling six weeks out of the games was one of excitement and anticipation  and an eagerness to defend the crown.
Kiap also expressed his grattitude to the O’neill government for the K200,000 state subsidy to cover air travel expenses for all provinces.
“The assistance from the government was timely to ensure participation come from all around the country – and make the PNG Games a truly national grassroots games.”
Team NCD will compete in 20 of the 22 sports on offer.
They are athletics, boxing, basketball, cricket, darts, golf, hockey, karate, kickboxing, netball, powerlifting, Paralympics, rugby league 9s, rugby 7s, soccer, snooker, taekwando, touch football, volleyball and weightlifting.