U19s have set high benchmark: chairman

 By JOHN PANGKATANA

BEING tagged as Commonwealth champions for the next four years has provided the impetus to propel the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) Team Kumul programme.

The success story of the PNG Under 19 team to beat the top ranked playing nation Australia 22-8 in the trial tournament in Glasgow, Scotland has given self belief and added fuel to the new PNGRFL board.

Amidst turbulent times, the Team Kumul program headed by Mal Meninga and administered by PNGRFL chief executive officer Brad Tassell should now be thankful for the juniors giving renewed confidence of future success.

With the PNGRFL set to roll out its nationwide coaching, refereeing, administration and junior development pathway programs this week, the victory serves to also strengthen their resolve that they are on the track. 

And for a bonus the win also gives added reason for the PNGRFL to celebrate and commemorate its 40th anniversary as an entity on August 17 as well.

An ecstatic PNGRFL board chairman Sandis Tsaka yesterday described the win as a milestone achievement for game in PNG over the last 40 years.

“It’s an unprecedented effort and it serves to demonstrates encouraging signs for our programmes and corporate backers who can see where we are heading to,” he added.

“The juniors have delivered an unplanned bombshell which our administration is now basking in the glory of our relatively unknown future stars,” he said.

“A majority of the players are part of the initial stages of the program, but we never expected them to rise on the world stage in this manner,” he said.

Tsaka made special mention of Team Kumul sponsors PNG Liquified Natural Gas project, PNG Power, Air Niugini, National Gaming Control Board, Digicel and Boroko Motors for their unbridled support as well.

The team coached under Denis Miall, the Lae Secondary School deputy principal, will arrive this morning at 5.30am and will be given an official welcome reception by Public Enterprise and State Investment Minister Ben Micah and Sports vice-minister Labi Amaiu at the Holiday Inn at 8am.