Tournament successful despite pandamic

SUNDAY’S conclusion to the Justin Tkatchenko Super Nines tournament at the newly-opened Moresby South Stadium in Kaugere was hailed a success following a large turnout from 48 teams for the weeklong event.
Moresby South MP Justin Tkatchenko, during the finals of the tournament, said despite the impact of Covid-19, teams and sponsors poured in for the fifth edition of the JT Nines with a new venue showcasing and boosting rugby league in the electorate.
“This stadium clearly shows what we can achieve in districts when it comes to the promotion of rugby league,” he said.
“It’s the first time to be used for this kind of competition so we want to see how the public utilises it and it came out very well and everyone was well behaved which is the most important thing.
“We’ve got good management and we’ve got good sponsors that have come to sponsor the teams taking part which is a record of 48 teams in a Covid-19 year.
“We also want to promote rugby league for our women and our upcoming stars from Moresby South.
“This tournament is for every community and village inside the National Capital District which include the Motu Koitabu people in Central to show their talents when it comes to rugby league,” Tkatchenko said.
The JT Nines was initially scheduled for March this year, however, the cancelling of all sporting events and activities due to coronavirus saw it moved to November.
Meanwhile, Moresby South Rugby League president Brown Murema said the stadium would be looking to host the electorate’s regular competition alongside schools competitions and other sports programmes