PNGTKDU rightful body

Normal, Sports
Source:

The National –Friday, January 7, 2011

 By TRAVERTZ MABONE

PNG Taekwondo great Jamuga Stone has called for proper recognition from the PNG Sports Federation and Olympic Committee (PNGSFOC) for the PNG Taekwondo Union Inc (PNGTKDU) as the duly elected national body.

Stone said that the PNGTKDU had followed all necessary criteria to affiliate with the PNGSFOC and since 2000 both organisations have not acknowledged them.

In 2009, the PNGTKDU was formally elected by the majority of the country’s club and association presidents and Stone appealed to the secretary general of the PNGSFOC Auvita Rapilla to recognise the union as the rightful body.

He claimed that despite their efforts to “get things rolling”, the only body that the PNGSFOC recognised to date was the Sport Taekwondo PNG (STAPNG) which he also said was basically a one-man-show.

“I commend STAPNG president Edward Kassman’s initiative of bringing in experts to further the level of the code, however, STAPNG has no real executives in place,” Stone said.

“Taekwondo has not made any real progress and something must be done to resolve the matter as soon as possible.” 

He said STAPNG, formerly known as the PNG Taekwondo Association and also Taekwondo PNG Inc has used a different name over the past three years which shows an association that lacks stability.

“Under the leadership of Kassman, there had never been any national and regional titles since 2000 and there also has never been any selection trials and the national team has never honestly been selected on merit,” Stone claimed.

He added that Kassman had never held any form of an AGM for his association since 2000.

Stone also protested what he saw as the PNGSFOC dictatorial  approach to taekwondo. 

“The PNGSFOC should not tell us who to affiliate to, the onus is on  the Taekwondo fraternity to elect a body which in turn will be presented to the PNGSFOC and the PNGSF.”

PNGTKDU is urging the PNGSFOC and the PNGSF to convene an urgent meeting to resolve the matter which has been an issue for over a decade now.

“The sport has suffered for the last 10 years and Rapilla must exercise her leadership to help solve this matter once and for all.

“For far too long we have run around in circles with the former secretary general of the PNGSFOC,” he added. 

“This year will be a very important year because of the Pacific Games in August, and with the coming 2015 games in PNG, our national taekwondo team must be properly selected and prepared to participate well.

“The PNGTKDU is a properly constituted and registered body. 

“We are in fact the only legal taekwondo body in the country,” Stone reaffirmed.