Vipers backed

THE Stop n Shop supermarket chain has put their hands up to sponsor the Port Moresby Vipers with a lucrative sponsorship deal worth K450,000 for the bemobile Cup.
The supermarket and retail giant  came to the aid of rugby league team Vipers on the request of NCD Governor Powes Parkop, and are proud to  make a major contribution to the overall sponsorship package valued at almost half a million kina.
Stop n shop, another business arm of the CPL group of companies, have now secured the naming rights for the capital city franchise team. The franchise from Port Moresby will now be called Stop n Shop Vipers.
Sponsorship from the retailer was launched yesterday in Port Moresby, in the presence of former Vipers major sponsor Civil Construction Pacific (CIVPAC) director, Dickson Tasi and Parkop.
CPL group of companies’ executive director Sudhir Guru, said the supermarket  chain was delighted to support rugby league because it had a wide following in the country and that was the main reason they came  on board to support the Vipers for two years.
“We want to give back something to the community and rugby league is a fitting way to involve the business at the community level,” Guru said.
The new-look Vipers squad were challenged to lift their game, be professional and decipline themselves as they compete under flagship of one  country’s leading supermarket retailers.
Vipers chairman Dickson Tasi congratulated the CPL group of companies for taking up the naming rights sponsorship for one of the original inter-city cup teams.
CIVPAC are the current minor sponsors and will remain in the team this year, with a commitment of K100,000 for this season.
Meanwhile, Parkop also announced the National Capital District Commission’s commitment of K100,000 for the capital city franchise who are expected improve on last year’s sixth place.
A once glamour team in the  initial inter-city competition, the Vipers, according to Parkop have had a hand in producing some of the country’s best Kumuls none more famous than Ulamona product Marcus Bai, who was a hero for Melbourne Storm in late 1990s and later Leeds in the English super league.
He said benchmark had already been set by Bai and other former Vipers liek Kera Ngaffin, Joe Gispe, Luke Waldiat and Akuila Emil in the early 1990s it was now up to the new breed to take charge.