Susuve urges provinces to respect rules during Games

Sports

PNG Games sports directorate manager John Susuve has urged provinces to respect the competition rules as stipulated under the PNG Games charter at the 2017 BSP PNG Games.
Susuve said major centres NCD and Morobe were flaunting the rules on age eligibility, particularly in the volleyball competition.
He said both NCD and Morobe were leaders in the sport and it was disappointing that they were failing to adhere to the competition rule on having basically novice teams taking part at the Games.
“We also have some issues with boxing where a lot of provinces wanted to put their representatives or elite boxers. The PNG Games is about promoting the untapped, raw talent and giving them a pathway to future representative opportunities,” he said.
“There is no use of hosting the PNG Games if elite players want to take centre stage. The PNG Games have been hijacked by some provinces who want to win at all costs by defying competition rules,” he said.
Susuve admitted that organisers had problems starting the event on time with teams not arriving on time and with technical officials and some equipment slow in arriving in Kimbe.
But he was relieved the event had started and competitions were being staged.
He admitted some of the sports (softball and AFL) had low numbers and this raised questions about their validity but these were things the PNG Games Council needed to consider in preparation for the next Games in Southern Highlands in 2019.
Susuve commended the national federations, technical officials and volunteers for their efforts at the Games so far and urged them to work hard to ensure the end was positive and memorable.