Women’s football in Papua New Guinea is set to reach new heights with the recent announcement of a proposed national league in the new year.
The last women’s national competition was held in 2010, with 2017 set to herald a new chapter for the country’s greatest achievers on the regional front.
While the SP Hunters and the National Soccer League competition have been big winners on the financial front for the males, support and sponsorship of women’s sport and individual athletes has gone begging in PNG.
In 2014, Senior Vice President of the PNG Football Association (PNGFA), Linda Wonuhali, raised her own concerns about the differences in the inequality of support for women and girls.
Likewise, similar calls had been made by another prominent woman in Hekari United Manageress, Vonnie Kapi Natto, and that call had been further backed Oro Governor, Gary Juffa. Prior to the Pacific Games in Port Moresby, calls had also been made by PNG captain, Deslyn Siniu, who had stated that despite the success of women internationally on the regional stage, they were still unrecognised.
The recent announcement by PNGFA President, David Chung, that the association will provide a K100,000 boost is sure to benefit the new crop of PNG’s talented women.
While the newly appointed board of the National Women’s Premier League are still in their foundation period, the news could not come at a better time for PNG, with the impending World Cup showcasing our current women’s talent.
