Team NCD off to Arafura

NCD Governor Powes Parkop yesterday urged the 130 athletes of Team NCD to do their best when representing the city at the Arafura Games in Darwin, Australia, from May 7-14.
He told the athletes to perform to a high standard and to use the opportunity to learn from the experience.
He said there would be hundreds of athletes from other countries in the region and host country Australia also participating and it would a good opportunity for NCD athletes to measure themselves against a diverse group of opponents.
“Don’t go there only to play sports but also learn from the experiences not only in sports but culturally as well,”  Parkop said.
He said Team NCD was separate from Team PNG but everyone was representing the country.
He added that Arafura was a useful testing ground for PNG’s rising sports stars to go to the next level of their development but also to experience the atmosphere of a big international event.
“Apart from exposing your sporting talents, you will also be exposed to the others cultures and way of life so learn how they live and respect their hometown,” he said.
He urged them to be good ambassadors by keeping high standards of respect and fair play.
NCD city manager Leslie Alu shared similar sentiments and urged everyone to do their best in winning some medals.
He said the main objective was for them to compete  well and win medals but also enjoy themselves.