Uni Games expands

PREPARATIONS are going smoothly at the PNG University of Technology (Unitech) as it sets out to host the biennial PNG University Games, formerly known as National Union of Students (NUS) Games.
The PNG University Games first began as a friendly sports  competition between Lae’s University of Technology and Madang’s Divine Word University in the late 1990s but has now grown to involve every major tertiary institution in the country.
The games will be held from June 28 to July 2 at the main campus at Taraka, Lae.
According to the organising committee, there will be a total of 17 sporting codes that will be played including debate, athletics, amateur boxing and ball games.
Among the games that will be played are  women’s rugby league, rugby union and amateur boxing are likely to draw crowds.
The only omission from the initial number of participating codes is golf.
PNG University Sports Association president Molly Perry-Geno said yesterday that golf was excluded because teams failed to confirm their participation.
She said organisation for the week-long event was running smoothly, adding the committee in consultation with sports coordinators were working around the clock to ensure logistics, accomodation and other  areas were in order before the opening ceremony on Monday.
Perry-Geno expected the opening ceremony to be “something to remember”.
Visiting teams from the East New Britain and Port Moresby are expected to arrive at Unitech as early as today, Unitech Students Representaive Council vice-president Joel Koep said.
The games are expected to attract more than 1000 athletes and support staff.
“The concept and name, NUS Games, have been changed this year to PNG University Games to cater for all higher learning institutions in the country,” he added.
“We (committee) expect a big turn-out, especially supporters, sponsors and participants.
“A lot of institutions have affiliated and registered to take part so the event should be more thrilling and fantastic which the number and variety of people involved,” Koep said.
Koep, who is one of the hardworking committee members, said he was pleased to welcome every participating team.
He also applauded the major sponsor Digicel and other co-sponsors including PNGFM, Super Value Store, Jomba Trading, Unitech Administration, National Gaming Control Board and Coca-Cola Amatil for their support of an event which would bring together members of  tertiary institutions around the country and foster unity as well as providing an opportunity for competitve sport.
The University of PNG are the defending champions having won the honour when they hostsed the games in 2008.
The universities and colleges expected to attend apart from Unitech and UPNG are major institutions like Divine Word University, University of Goroka, Vudal University, Lae Technical College, Mt Hagen Tech, Goroka Business College, Madang teachers College and other technical  and teachers colleges around the country.