Province gives chance for homegrown talents to join Mioks

RUGBY league enthusiasts from the Porgera-Paiela area in Enga, now have the opportunity to play the game they love at the provincial level.
Tournaments are underway in the six Enga districts, including Lagaip-Porgera, and is sponsored by the provincial government.
The tournaments are aimed at identifying players to compete in a provincial tourney in Wabag this month, where a squad would be selected for Digicel Cup franchise Enga Mioks.
According to Lagaip-Porgera tournament coordinator Karenge Wai, the squad had previously been selected from the Coca-Cola Ipatas Cup, which saw many players coming from outside provinces.
He said the provincial government had now established the district and provincial tournaments so that players could be selected from within Enga.
“The best players from the Porgera tournament will be selected to represent the area in the upcoming tourney in Wabag, and so as the other districts,” Wai said.
Each district was given two days to hold their tournaments, which Wabag hold its tourney on Christmas Day last year.
After Wabag, the other districts followed suit, starting with Wapenamanda before Laiagam, Kompiam-Ambum, Porgera and Kandep.
The Porgera tournament was held at the Suyan field from Jan 4-5, where eight teams took part.
Wai said the tournaments were a way of deterring young people from crime.
The Porgera tournament was facilitated through the Porgera district administration, Porgera Development Authority and the community-based restoring justice initiative.