Toki: Lae football bigger this season

By GABRIEL LAHOC
THE Lae Football Association (LFA) has seen growth this year with more teams participating this season and the securing of a new playing field.
LFA secretary general Alex Toki announced over the weekend that the scout hall field at Eriku across the road from LFA’s Panamex park would now be used as the third playing field under an arrangement with the Lae City Council.
He also confirmed the exodus of clubs from rival Lahi Soccer Association into LFA, which was the main reason a new playing field was secured.
Apart from the Lahi teams, some new teams have joined from Posti in Bulolo, Bumayong, Igam, East and West Taraka, Labu and Markham areas.
Toki said this season there were 83 clubs participating in the men’s premier, first division and the women’s division.
This is a rise from 72 clubs last season.
“The scout hall field will be used as field three and we will have the field’s infrastructures developed starting this week,” he said of the field which has been used by other codes such as touch football and softball.
Toki also reported that the association had witnessed that the clubs were also playing more competitive football compared to past years.
He said the new teams realised that playing in the LFA would give them more chances to move into the semi-professional National Soccer League and other PNG Football Association sanctioned events.