Soccer enters new chapter with Besta

By HENRY MORABANG
MEMBER associations finally have something to look forward to during the soccer season by participating in the new-look Besta FA Cup.
PNG Football Association president David Chung, who officially launched the cup at Gateway Hotel in Port Moresby, heralded another chapter of football in PNG.
Five years ago, the PNGFA introduced the elite competition, the National Soccer League and the PNGFA Cup died a natural death as the mother body focused on the semi-professional competition.
Chung, who is also OFC president and FIFA senior vice-president, said PNGFA had comeback to revamp the format by re-introducing the concept with the K120,000 funding from International Food Corporation through its tinned fish brand, Besta.
The Besta Cup is open to the 13 member associations of the PNGFA.
There area five centres in the highlands, four in Momase, three in New Guinea Islands and one from Southern region.
Surprisingly, the NCD PSSA is the only body from the Southern region and has already qualified for the semi-finals of the Besta Cup.
IFC chief executive officer Rosedean Zaily Dzulkfli has commended PNGFA for the initiative in  establishing the Besta FA Cup for its member association.
He said the Besta Cup would provide a path way and incentive for players, both men and women, to progress from the grassroots level to senior football, the semi-professional league (NSL), the national teams and ultimately onto the international arena.
“As you all know, IFC has been a great supporter of football throught its franchise team, Besta PNG United and were proud to say that the performances of the youngsters has tremendously grown and improved in the last two years,” he said.
Rosedean admitted that IFC was passionate about soccer and as part of its corporate social responsibilities, the company would like to continue and move one step further in its endeavour to promote soccer in the country.
“We believe that the benefit of this tournament for both men and women are tremendous, with opportunities for players to be selected to the national team to play for the country,” he said.
The winners of the competition in the  men’s  and women’s divisions will walk away K30,000 rich, while the runners-up bag K15,000.
Teams who finish in third spot will pick up K10,000 and K5,000 will go to the team that finish fourth.
The nomination fee to take part in the tournament is K1,000 per team.
The launching was witnessed by members of PNGFA executives and staff of International Food Corporation (IFC)
PNGFA will provide airline tickets for semi finalists and the finalists for both men and women for home and away finals series.