NGI teams confirmed

By KEVIN TEME
CHIEF executive officer of the famous off-season rugby league competition, the Ipatas Cup, Timothy Lepa is on a fact finding mission before the official draws are made for this lucrative tournament.
Lepa was in Kimbe, the host venue of the New Guinea Islands, to confirm the teams that will be participating.
“It was an awesome welcome for me when I arrived there to confirm the teams that will be taking part.
“For the first time, the Ipatas Cup has revived rugby league in this part of the region and I would like to thank individual sponsors of the teams for making this possible,” Lepa said yesterday.
He said the Kimbe rugby league community were great hosts and it showed that the sport had a strong base in West New Britain.
Lepa confirmed the teams for the NGI region which are Bobo Malae Hardware Warriors, Hoskins Pago Eels (Hoskins), STK Bullets ( Kimbe), FBN Sons, Bialla Seamarsh, Kimbe Concrete Product, Ulamona Baia Fishing Resort, KST Kimbe Barbarians, Tokilu Vipers (Bialla) and Kokopo Muruks.
Lepa said he was treating his visit as a fact finding trip before he confirmed the number of teams that would be taking part in the competition next month.
Lepa will be arriving in Port Moresby to confirm Southern region teams before he flies up to the Highlands.
“This is a fact finding mission which I am taking to see how things are progressing,” Lepa said.
“I will be in Port Moresby from Wednesday (tomorrow) through to Friday before going up to the Highlands.
“After my visit to there I will finalise the draws with the games kicking off next month.”
In Port Moresby two teams are set with Hohola Lareva having picked their side last week while Popondetta Butterflies have also selected their team for the tournament which runs on Feb 15-16.