TFPNG gets K5,000 to attend World Cup meet

 WATER PNG, formerly PNG Waterboard, has come to rescue of the PNG team to participate at the 7th Touch Football World Cup in Edinburgh, Scotland, with K5,000.

The World Cup will be held on June 2-26.

Water PNG managing director Patrick Amini, who made the payment last Wednesday, said the organisation was happy to assist Touch Football PNG and its players to showcase their talents on the international arena.

“We have assisted touch football at the national championships because the sport is unique.

“It allows both men and women to play alongside each other, hence promoting gender equality in sports and strengthens family and community ties, which are the foundation of a united nation,” Amini said.

He challenged other corporate companies approached by TFPNG to step forward and assist touch football to participate at the World Cup meet.

Touch Federation PNG president Joe Yore thanked Water PNG for the support and believed the players and management were ready to produce their best at the meet.

He also supported Amini’s call for probable corporate sponsors to come forward and get behind the players who had been training since last October.

TFPNG has registered five teams who will be competing in five divisions which include open men’s, women’s and mixed teams of senior men and women.

“The worse case scenario for us will be to send only two teams but it will depend on funding,” Yore said.

However, he added that each participant is expected to pay a K2,500 levy fee with the balance to come from fundraising activities and corporate sponsorship.

The PNG senior women’s team is ranked 5th in the world, while the other five teams are outside the top 10 nations. 

Therefore, he said it was the PNGTF’s commitment to finish in the top 10 and improve on their current ranking during the World Cup.

PNG is among 28 countries which include Switzerland, Japan, Netherlands, Italy, Australia, Scotland, Guernsey, New Zealand, Niue, United States, Jersey, the Cook Islands, France, Austria, England, Wales, South Africa, Singapore, Belgium, Germany, Catalonia, Ireland, Lebanon, Spain, Fiji and Samoa.