Osborne: I’m still chairman

Normal, Sports
Source:

The National, Monday 07th November 2011

BUSINESSMAN-cum sporting administrator Graham Osborne is still the chairman of the PNG Sports Foundation.
Osborne was responding to last Friday’s report which labelled him as the former chairman of PNG Sports Foundation.
The New Zealand-born Osborne said the statement was incorrect and that not only was he still the Sports Foundation board chairman but also headed the Venue Infrastructure and Equipment Committee (VIEC) which had been working since February.
“I am still the chairman of the PNG Sports Foundation board and where did you get all this rubbish from and published it?” he said.
Osborne and his team had been working tirelessly inspecting and having meetings with stakeholders on the redevelopment of the sporting fields where the 2015 Pacific Games will be hosted.
Soccer has confirmed that the Bisini football ground will be upgraded at an estimated cost of K10 million.
The VIEC has held meetings with the Port Moresby Soccer Association and have allocated K2.5 million per year until the 2015 Games for the upgrade and redevelopment of Bisini.
The president of PMSA Russel Tsuga confirmed that his executive had been holding talks with VIEC for the redevelopment of the football park.
Other sports that are likely to receive funding from VIEC for upgrade or redevelopment of their venues including hockey (Sir John Guise stadium), basketball, netball and softball – all along Bisini Parade.
“We have already sent our redevelopment plans include a stadium and side-stands to the VIEC for funding, and are just waiting for them to release the money to start work on the project,” Tsuga said.
The work on all 25 venues was supposed to start at the beginning of the year.
While Prime Minister Peter O’Neill promised PNG would be ready by 2015, he admitted that little work had been done in preparing for the Games but laid the blame on a lack of direction.
“Regrettably, little work has been done since the previous government won the bid to host the 2015 Pacific Games in September 2009,” O’Neill said.
“Two years have passed and no clear direction was established between the PNGSFOC and the PNG Foundation for commencing the work on this important initiative.”
Venues in Port Moresby are expected to begin their upgrades as early as January provided adequate funding is released by the government in the November budget.