Pepes gain

PNG Netball Federation have made a vast improvement on the world ranking despite the challenge they faced.
Federation president Emily Taule said yesterday PNG Pepes had improved by one point from 12th to 11th spot, stressing there was much improvement on the score lines.
The margins had been reduced between Pacific champions Fiji and Cook Island.
Apart from PNG Pepes’ performance at the international level, the youth team, PNG Cocoons finished a disappointing 16 out of 20 teams in the World Youth Games in Raratonga, Cook Islands.
Taule said this was the first time PNG had competed the junior world championships after an absence of 13 years.
“We achieved a credible 16th place out of 20 with a raw team of youngsters,” she said.
Taule said after the World Youth Cup, the federation had outlined their junior development strategy to ensure the continuity of netball at the national level.
She said a lot of new talents from the PNG Games would be part of the newly-developed junior development strategy.
“Netball is definitely spreading its wings if the performances of smaller centres like Western Fly, Kavieng, Simbu and Mt Hagen during the PNG Games in Port Moresby recently were any indication,” Taule said.
During the PNG Games, Port Moresby Netball Association president Pole Kassman was impressed with the performance of smaller centres of Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Manus and Alotau.
“Despite not playing much competition locally, they had proven at the PNG Games that there are vast untapped talents throughout the country,” she said.
Meanwhile, PNG Netball Federation joined the sporting fraternity to convey their sincere condolences to the passing of their dearest friend Florence Bundu who died on Tuesday night at Pacific International Hospital.