Soccer players drunk on flight home

 By JACK AMI

DISGRACED Papua New Gui­nea Under-20 soccer players were drunk and annoyed passengers on their flight home, a parent on the same flight said this week.

The winless Wesley Waiwai-coached side finished last in the U20 Oceania World Cup qualifiers.

The parent and passenger, Janet Sesevi said the actions of the drunk players had been disgusting and annoying for the other passengers on PX 085 from Fiji.

On the same flight had been  international passengers, other Pa­pua New Guineans and the Ba soccer team on their way to play Hekari in Port Moresby.

Voicing alarm, Sesevi said the authorities should investigate the team management and players and “take action against those involved immediately”.

She said wanted to raise the issue for the good of soccer’s future 

“The issue I want to raise here is for the good of soccer in the years to come,” she said. 

“The president of PNGFA must be sacked because something is wrong somewhere … that’s why we see this behaviour.

“It is an embarrassment. It wasn’t a mistake it happened but for soccer to move forward the president and his executives must resign.”

She said she tried to find out who the team management were but no one came forward to control the players on the flight.

Sesevi said she was so embarrassed that on arrival at Jack­son’s Airport she quickly got her bag and rushed past the drunkards to get out first. 

She said only a few players had remained quiet throughout the flight but no one spoke out about the boisterous behaviour of the other players.

She said she could not believe her eyes and ears at what she saw and heard on the plane from the drunk Papua New Guinea U20 players.  

“No discipline, disgrace, dis­respect, misbehaviour, nuisance, indiscipline, swearing on the plane, marching around the cabin. 

“Our family friend assumed they must have drank through the night and boarded the flight and continued because they looked like it. 

“When they arrived in Honiara, the flight attendants announced that none of them would leave the plane because they insisted on going out.

“This is very serious and disciplinary action must be taken against those involved. 

“There were few a quite, shy and humble ones who just sat in their seats and hung their heads low until they arrived at Jackson’s Airport.”