Sports to be career option: PM

By HELEN TARAWA
PRIME Minister James Marape says sports will be a viable alternate career option for many youths completing school.
Marape, who recently announced the new cabinet, said the ministry of sports had been put together with Higher Education research, science and technology.
Member for Kagua-Erave Wesley Raminai was appointed last week to take care of the ministry.
“The reason why sports is attached to this sector is because it is not just a leisure activity,” Marape said.
“Globally, sports is a career option.
“You finish your education in grade 12 and sports can be a career option.
“Raminai, predominantly known as minister for sports assisting the PM, is now the minister responsible for not just higher education but sports as well.”
Marape said Raminai had done well in his previous capacity so he was bringing the ministry of sports into the higher education sector.
He said youths who continued in their education could take up sporting programmes in places such as the National Sports Institution in Goroka and many other centres.
“Those institutions will be combined and Raminai becomes minister for higher education, research, science and technology and sports,” he said.
Marape said the Government would introduce sporting programmes that would be tied to the higher education institutions.
He said sports would no longer be a ministerial portfolio of its own, it would be integrated with higher education.