Sports workshop held to garner views

By LARRY ANDREW
A WORKSHOP on the Sports Policy Review Consultation for the Mamose region last week at the Sir Ignatius Kilage Indoor Stadium conference room was to seek views from key stakeholders and other partners in the region for the new National Sports Policy.
The NSP consultation workshop was opened by Morobe Governor Ginson Saonu, who was the keynote speaker with PNG Sports Foundation executive director Peter Tsiamalili Jr also addressing the participants.
Participants attending the workshop were from West Sepik, East Sepik, Madang and Morobe.
Tsiamalili said the workshop was part of the review of the fourth edition of the National Sports Policy and told the participants that at the end of the day they would be the implementers. “We are going to change the way which we drive sport,” Tsiamalili said.
“Over the past five to 10 years we’ve seen sports climbing up because of the infrastructure and one of the key things that I try to echo every time I get the opportunity to sit with leaders is to see sports in a different light.”
Tsiamalili said sport was a tool that would save the government money.
“When we are healthy and fit we reduce the health bills, law and order if we put more support and become corporative partners in sports the crime bills and justice bills will drop, we will have more money to invest in other areas.
“And make this thing what we call sport a business for all of us as all of us, one way or other we are contributing towards sports. We acknowledge what is happening globally but we must make sure this policy captures what we do locally,” Tsiamalili said.
Saonu said one important thing that the world would know PNG is through sports and create something that was attractive that it was PNG’s face that the world would see, the future generations would see. “The UN sees sports as a catalyst for change which finds communities and nations, trouble torn nations hope, give the disadvantaged an opportunity. The commonwealth of nations sees sports as an attractive community commodity which is marketable and needs to be expanded,” Saonu said.
“In sport you can feel you are identified, in sports there is unity of people, in sports you find peace, in sports you find pride for yourself and for your country and in sport you have the physical managing power to create something that is memorable,” Saonu said.