By Staycey Yalo, EMTV News, Port Moresby
Over 200 athletes from Southern Highlands province are prepared to participate in the PNG Games next week.
Despite financial challenges faced by the team like other provinces, the team from the Highlands Region is looking forward to give their best.
Chairman of the team, Sape Molumi, said the team has been preparing since last year.
“It is not about winning Gold or a medal but for us it is about participating in a national event. We have divided our teams for travel and some have traveled today while others later during the week. By the closing ceremony, we want to be all present there so that we can take the baton officially for the 2019 8th PNG Games in SHP,” he said.
Molumi gave credit to the previous Provincial government who had allocated K300,000 which under his chairmanship had been kept and used to finance travel arrangements for the team.
He said participation of the team is very important as the province prepares itself to host the 2019 PNG games.
He said many important sporting events this year have diverted the government’s attention but by next year, concentration will be in Southern Highlands to build infrastructure to host the 8th Pacific Games.
An estimated K70million is required for infrastructure development for 2019 and Sape and his team are prepared to take on the task.
He also called on Southern Highlands citizens to help support the SHP team in cash or kind as help is still needed for the team.
