Nupuks, champs of Asaro

 By ZACHERY PER

NUPUKS winger Robert Bile proved too good, scoring two tries to help Nupuks defeat HPK 20-1 in Lezate off-season rugby league challenge on Sunday at Samatoka Primary School ground in Asaro, Eastern Highlands.

Bile demonstrated his speed skills to score two tries, the first in the first half was a 40 metre dash for an unconverted try and sealed the game with a 60 metre run, but the try was unconverted.

HPK fullback Nikson Soporo, who played exceptionally well for his side, was the first to open the score book with a field-goal, giving HPK an early 1-0 lead.

Nupuks, being boosted with some of the class players in the likes of Andrew Saina, Bile, Sungut Peter, Jamine Gogoyo, Moki Litimuso, Oksy Gunure, Brendan Poka, Max Papo, Nathan Sareno, Junior Peter, Rodney Avuze, Patrick Peter and Aron Gunure, showed no mercy to score four tries to win.

Other try scorers were Aron Gunure and Andrew Saina while captain Sungut Peter collected the extras from conversion kicks.

HPK tried their best through Soporo, Ottio Nolen, Bom Locky, Yaloman Mathew, Guroguro Mospe, John Bobby, Mote Martin and Kope Mabuno.

Major sponsor of the competition, Johinee Litimuso, dished out K10,000 cash in prizes for the winning teams in both A and Reserve grades. He purchased new maroon and blue sets of jerseys for the two grand finalists.

He urged them to exercise more discipline and respect in their approaches during the game.

“If you play in the true spirit of rugby league and have respect for each other and end the grand final on a high note, I will put up a much bigger sponsorship in the next off-season game,” Litimuso said.

He said the team that made the fewer mistakes would win the game, and the teams that participated were invited to register for the next off-season.

Litimuso, through his private Nupuks Works Limited, has provided the biggest sponsorship ever in the Daulo district. He presented consolation prizes in cash to all the participating teams.

Community leaders thanked Litimuso for putting up funds for the competition.