Oro Fuzzy Wuzzy touch tourney biggest

 By JACK AMI

THE Oro Fuzzy Wuzzy Touch Football Cup is set to be the biggest touch  event in the province, with K30,000 prize money on offer for the champions in the open men’s women’s and mixed divisions.

The champions of each division gets K10,000.

Tournament founder Copland Gewa, pictured, confirmed that the event would coincide with the Independence Day celebrations on September 12-16 and would be stage at the Independence Oval in the provincial capital, Popondetta.

The organisers have so far secured K10,000 and are appealing to the corporate sector and individuals to support the tournament.

Teams wishing to take part are advised to affiliate to the organisers with a K500 team fee and an individual player registration fee of K20 to be eligible to play. 

Ijivitari MP David Arore has been confirmed as patron of the event.

Gewa extended invitations to teams from within the province and those outside.

The 12-team tournament is expected to have six teams from Oro and the other six from other provinces with teams from Port Moresby and Lae already interested.

Popondetta Urban, Buna, Gona, Kokoda, Agenambo, Isivini and Oro Bay are the local teams.

He said the event would be used to select the best Team Oro to participate in the PNG Games in Lae in November 16-29, in which Oro are geared to defend the gold medal won in the open mixed division in Kokopo in 2012.

Preparations are on target with local teams geared up for the event.

One of the themes of the tournament is to commemorate the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels of World War II in Kokoda, Buna and Gona.

Gewa said this was significant as these three villages were directly affected by fighting and it was good to honour the memories of the men who helped the Allied forces repel  the advancing Japanese army on the beachhead of Buna, Sananda, Gona and along the famous Kokoda Track in 1942.