Players changing attitude

By ROBINSON LEKA
Using rugby league to help address alcoholism among youths during the festive period has proved successful, says an official.
ID24 National Capital District Eastern Highlands Offseason Rugby League chairman Benny Kene said the majority of young people who play in the league’s B-Grade competition had become more disciplined and were showing signs of change.
“I see that during the offseason, they’ve become more discipline and I’ve seen that a lot activities like drinking and smoking among young people taking part has cut down,” he said.
“There’s not much of an age limit on who gets to play in the B-Grade but we generally see them all as a development division.
“Most of the B-Grade players are students from high schools and we also have some from primary schools as low as Grade 6.
“Their education will always be a priority.
“But what we want to instil in them is discipline so when we finish from our competition, they can return to their studies and apply the same thing.
“We would usually find youths drinking and disturbing the community during the festive, however, this has changed in the last two months.
“Since the start of the off-season, most of the young people have been turning up in numbers and they are eager to play.”
Kene, who resides at Vadavada, said most of the youths in the off-season competition were living in his community.
He said with introduction of competition last year, there was a notable change in how most young people conducted themselves.