Netball sets goals

Sports

By HENRY MORABANG
THE New Year promises to be a productive one for Netball Papua New Guinea as it gets its three-year strategic plan off the ground.
With five priority areas identified, the country’s leading women’s sport will see a full year of competition and development across the board, according to Netball PNG board chairman Julianne Leka-Maliaki, who said 2017 would see the sport’s executive implement its plan endorsed in the council’s meeting in September.
Maliaki said the five priority areas were on local competitions, qualifying for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, developing a national schools programme, increasing the sports’ technical capacity and promoting the sport to a wider audience.
“The board will endorse the 2017 work plan at its first meeting this month to start the roll-out of key programmes and activities for the year,” Leka-Maliaki, pictured, said.
She said that the board were able to implement only a number of key activities last year due to economic challenges.
Netball PNG’s five focus areas in 2017 are:

  • To work with member associations to build and strengthen their governance structures, policies and encourage good leadership throughout Netball PNG’s membership;
  • To work towards the Pepes qualification for the 2018 Commonwealth Games and other international commitments;
  • To develop and implement a pilot national schools outreach programe to promote the WaSH Policy in partnership with WaterAid PNG;
  • Capacity building of technical officials and volunteers in partnership with Water PNG Ltd; and,
  • creating innovative programmes and activities through sports to address social and community development challenges in PNG.
    Leka-Maliaki said with a number of strategic partnerships established and in the pipeline and a full board in place, she was optimistic that the board would be able to deliver its planned activities over the next 12 months.

“The board is thankful for the support of its partners and stakeholders in 2016 including the Government through the Minister for Sports, the PNG Sports Foundation, the PNG Olympic Committee, the National Gaming Control Board, Water PNG Ltd and WaterAid PNG.”