PNGOC helping all sports

Organisation responds to claim that it isn’t providing enough

THE Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee (PNGOC) says while it recognises the need for national sports federations to improve capability, the organisation remains committed to helping them achieve their goals.
It was responding to Athletics PNG president Tony Green’s claim that “PNG is in need of a sporting revolution and this should start with the election of a new board for PNGOC on June 27”.
“That is the sentiment expressed by a number of national federations (which is a double digit number) who are unhappy with the present status quo,” he said in a statement.
“Federations have been getting a raw deal for a long time, and this must change if sport is to progress to the levels that we all aspire to.
“PNGOC is made up of sporting bodies but it is not adequately representing the interests of its membership.
“Meaning that it is not driven by policies that adequately accommodate the federations to sustain the development and growth of their respective sports.
“A question being asked by many is, what are the PNG Sports Foundation and PNGOC policies that underpin sports in PNG?
“We are all here for the athletes but what about the federations?
“Who is looking after their needs?
“More and more is demanded from sports in the realm of compliance and governance but there is not enough support to enable them to meet these demands.
“Many sports are still run by volunteers who work from home with very limited resources.
“We all understand the importance of good corporate governance and compliance as demanded by PNGOC.
“But at the end of the day, sports have to be able to function effectively and this is where PNGOC and PNGSF have fallen short of developing policies with the collective input of federations to ensure an equitable and sustainable outcome.
“A few sports are fortunate enough to be well funded by their international bodies and/or have a membership base made up of individuals whose families are at a higher level on the earnings scale whereas most sports are dealing with ordinary Papua New Guineans at the grass roots level.
“How can we judge the performance of these sports in their administration and governance using the same criteria when it’s not a level playing field?”
In its response, PNGOC said: “For the term of the current board, PNGOC’s work has been guided by its strategic plan (2016-2020), a public document accessible on the PNGOC website which was developed through a consultative process involving input from the federations.
“The plan includes a strategic focus on enhancing the capability of federation, especially in relation to good governance and administration which is fundamental to the effective running of any organisation.
“PNGOC recognises the important role federations play for sport in PNG.
“As PNGOC members, their views have been consistently sought with regards to key issues.
“PNGOC’s support to federations has come in the form of training courses for administrators and coaches, funding, communication resources and advice.
“Federations are kept up-to-date with latest developments through a weekly email circulation of the NF Bulletin and the fortnightly circulation of the PNGOC e-Newsletter, the Sports Garamut.
“PNGOC recognises that there is still a need for NFs to increase their capability and to assist in the achievement of their goals.
“The elections of board members at upcoming annual general assembly will again provide federations with an opportunity to have their say on the direction of PNGOC, as well as their involvement in the development of a new strategic plan which will take place later this year.
“At the end of the day, PNGOC will always uphold the principles and values of good governance.”