Youth league on cards: Official

By PATRICIA KEAMO
PRESIDENT John Kapi Natto says his Papua New Guinea Football Association plans to introduce a youth league, and focus more on futsal and beach soccer next year.
He made the announcement during the launching of the Women’s National Soccer League (WNSL) at the Sir John Guise Stadium Indoor Complex in Port Moresby on Thursday night.
“Beach football is huge in the Fifa calendar so we are targeting three coastal areas to see where we can take the code,” Kapi Natto said.
He said the Kumul Petroleum NSL (men) grand final in October had reached over a million viewers online and PNGFA was also planning to broadcast the WNSL.
With Pius Letenge as PNGFA’s new general secretary, a good governance structure has been put in place to align the governing body’s administration with its finances.
“He has now put in place our technical divisions and the main one is our competitions division,” Kapi Natto said.
“Competitions are the flagship of every country around the world.”
Most competitions across the country are now affiliated under PNGFA with a new women’s football committee in place.
PNGFA is backing the committee to guide women’s football on the road to the 2023 World Cup which will be hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
WNSL interim chairman Dianne Peliokai thanked Kapi Natto for empowering a group of emerging women leaders to form the committee.
“We need support from our Government, partners, sponsors and the community to make our journey towards the World Cup easier,” she said.
“Our girls and women in football deserve our recognition and support.
“Let’s make every girl and women’s dream come true to represent our beautiful country on the world stage.”
The women’s league kicks off in Lae and Port Moresby on Saturday and will run through to April next year.