Waigani meddling in sport administration

 THE recent announcement by the government through the minister of Sport to take charge of rugby league in the country will create more confusion in our sporting organisations in a state where we see all our sporting organisations as a non-government organisation.  

The confusion is being created by the ministry at targeting one sport and is leaving other sports out in the cold or is it trying to use rugby league as a case to round up others in the near future. 

The ministry of sport is supposedly responsible for all sports played and enjoyed by its population and not for one particularly sport. 

Its sports organisation is run by its own governance under an approved statutes by its affiliated members. 

I am like every other public have been following the developments within rugby league in the recent past. 

I feel the proper approach for the government would be to assist it’s machinery, the PNG Sports Foundation to handle the situation. 

However, there are millions questions but here are few questions I would like to raise in respond to the announcement by the minister:

(a) Will the same attention be given to other sports played by the people, to raise their standard?

(b) Will the government step into fixing the mess each time an elected sporting body is in disagreement with itself?

(c) Are we going to see a state run national sporting organisation for every sport in the country?

(d) Were there a proper research conducted into rugby league and a report presented to the ministry to warrant such an announcement to fix the sport of rugby league?

The government is responsible for the welfare of its people and that is a good sign. But there are also misfortunes when this line of attention by the sports ministry is targeting one sport. And it may prompt the state to continue to take control instead of being the guardian.

Let me offer my one toea advice; the government should provide the guidelines only after a proper and well informed searched are done by a commission of inquiry. 

Nothing is worst than a reaction from a government that is not well informed of the underlying problems within the sport.

Anyone and everyone involved in or has interest in any sport should always take note that “sport is there for the people and not, people are there for the sport”. In football (soccer), let me attest here the previous FIFA motto “for the good of the game”

Dimirit S Benbet Mileng

General secretary

PNG Football Association