As the final extension deadline of Monday, 6th November, for National Federations (NFs) to settle their levy fees rapidly approaches, the Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee (PNGOC) urgently calls upon the Government of Papua New Guinea for immediate support.
This plea comes amidst the varying degrees of levy fee payments by NFs, a crucial funding component for Team PNG’s participation in the upcoming Pacific Games. In November 2022, PNGOC invoiced NFs for athlete and official levies, allowing a full year to secure these necessary funds.
The PNGOC gave a final deadline for payment of levies on September 27th to all 21 games sports. To date, only five sports – Boxing, Netball, Swimming, Tennis and Va’a have paid their levy in full, while six sports have covered 20% to 50% of their levy payment, with eight sports yet to contribute any fees at all.
PNGOC expressed that this situation places the participation of many athletes and the success of Team PNG at the Pacific Games in jeopardy.
Chairperson of the PNG Athletes Commission, Ryan Pini, highlighted a crucial issue: the responsibility of raising these levies falls primarily on the shoulders of the National Federation Executives, not the athletes.
“Athletes should not be burdened with paying more than 40% (K800) of the levy fee if they are requested to contribute,” Pini stressed.
This underscores a significant systemic issue within the sporting community regarding funding and support.
Given that the Government Grant has always been a fundamental part of funding, supporting Team PNG’s extensive budget, its absence this year raises severe concerns.
The national Olympic committee expressed that without this crucial support, a last resort may be to reduce the size of the team after the 6th November levy extension deadline, potentially dashing the hopes of numerous dedicated athletes and diminishing our nation’s medal chances.
The PNGOC urges the Government to provide the necessary assistance to Team PNG, comprising 41 teams across 21 sports, including men’s, women’s, mixed, and para teams.
President of PNGOC, Sir John Dawanincura, underscores the gravity of the situation saying that the Pacific Games is not just a major sporting event, it is also a celebration of our national talent and spirit.
The PNGOC President reiterated that with Team PNG’s departure scheduled for Monday, 13th November, the absence of Government funding would not only be a devastating blow to the morale of our athletes and officials but also to our nation’s medal prospects.
