Women’s football gets new sponsor

By HENRY MORABANG
HUGO Canning Company Ltd has committed K50,000 to support the women’s National Soccer League challenge.
The company has also won the naming rights under their tinned meat brand Ox & Palm giving it the name the Ox & Palm women’s National Soccer League.
The company’s general manager David Slape could not believe that Hugo Canning Company were the first to sponsor women’s football in PNG 
He said supporting women’s football was something different but his company was excited about the new partnership with football.
Hugo Canning Company Ltd is based at 16-Mile outside Port Moresby.
National Soccer League development manager Chris Brown said for soccer to be associated with Ox & Palm was something new in PNG.
Brown said negotiations between the two parties had been going on for some time and was happy that Slape and his management had agreed to support women’s football.
Women’s National Soccer League coordinator Simon Koima said the season kicked off last year.
But with Hugo Canning Company jumping on board, he said it was good sign for soccer in PNG.
“It is the first time for women’s football to get such support from corporate companies. It will certainly open doors for other corporate backers to follow suit,” he said.
“The sponsorship will lift PNG women’s preparation to defend the gold during the 2015 Pacific Games in Port Moresby,” he said.