U17, U20 tourney gets underway

 By LARRY ANDREW

DESPITE the down pour yesterday in Lae, Morobe, the Niugini Tablebirds-sponsored National Youth Women’s Soccer tournament which is sanctioned by PNGFA kicked off with 15 teams at the Lae Football Association Park and will end with the finals on Friday.

PNG Football Association secretary-general Dimirit Mileng told the media that teams taking part are from Bialla, Goroka, Madang, Port Moresby (PMSA & NCD PSSA), Manus, Marhkam and Lae (LFA & Lahi) while Wau was a late inclusion due to road conditions in their district.

He expressed gratitude to the Niugini Tablebirds for coming on board to sponsor this tournament.

In the Under-17 pool games five teams: Lahi, Bialla, LFA, Goroka and Madang are taking part while in  the U20s there are nine teams participating which are Lahi, Manus, PMSA, Markham, Wau, NCDPSSA, LFA, Madang and Goroka.

Mileng said there are three tournaments in line for women in which the Oceania Football Confederation had nominated PNG to take part and U15 girls, who are now 14 years old and playing in the U17s in this tournament, would participate in the Youth Olympics to be held in Beijing, China, next year.

While the U17 and U20 womens team will take part in the OFC qualifiers for the Youth World Cup next year.

He said this competition and the up coming tournaments next year arebeing used as lead-ups to the 2015 Pacific Games in Port Moresby.