Non-selection queried

By ISAAC LIRI
AFTER going through the train-on squad selection for the PNG women’s basketball team for the 2019 Pacific Games in Samoa, administrator Kevin Teme has called on the selection panel to reconsider selections.
Teme, the former NCD Amateur Basketball Association president and PNG Men’s Basketball League general secretary made the call after two NCDABA players were omitted from the team after being classified as unregistered by the selection panel.
Teme said Lydia Gotuna and Magdelyne Unagi were outstanding during the Governors Cup last month and deserved spots.
“They dropped the two girls because NCDABA pulled out of the tournament (Governors Cup) because NCDABA’s semifinal win was awarded to Mt Hagen,” Teme said.
“Lydia Gotuno was a key player in the PNG’s women’s team that won the Melanesia Cup last year.
“If the federation is to put up a women’s team that will be competitive in the Pacific Games then I urge them to look past the issue of registration and ensure our best players represent us,” Teme added.
Basketball Federation of PNG vice-president and chairman of the selection panel Karo Lelai agreed that NCDABA had good players however clarified that they did not comply with guidelines.
In regard to Gotuno and Unagi, Lelai said NCDABA demanded and received in full a refund of its team registration and affiliation fee during the Govenors Cup which resulted in the association and its players ceasing to be affiliates nullifying their eligibility for selection.
“All memberships based on organisations around the world including sporting bodies, companies, associations and superannuation funds operate on the same principle, you must be a member to enjoy the benefits of membership. In this case eligibility for selection is a benefit,” Lelai said.
“By deciding to stop their membership, NCDABA took its players out of contention for selection and the sad thing is that good athletes have been disadvantaged.”
Lelai clarified that NCDABA’s semifinal win was awarded to Mt Hagen because they lodged an appeal to BFPNG about fielding players whose names were already in the team list for POMWBL — the players were Betty Wong and Elina Yala.
“Our guidelines are based on whether a player has played in an association in order to be eligible to represent that association, if a player in that association wants to play for another association then a release letter must be obtained,” she said.
Lelai said BFPNG sent the tournament guidelines to all affiliates on Aug 22.
“The guidelines attached are not new and the rule about getting release letters is used in every sport.
“The registration is attached to the guidelines and it is up to each association to read them and understand.”
Lelai said none of their associations complied with the requirement to submit registration forms by Sept 12.
“Teams like NCDABA were registered on the day the tournament started so BFPNG did not have the opportunity to screen registration lists and raise issues with associations.
“In the best interest of the game we allowed the tournament to proceed but reminded the teams to check the guidelines.”