The National Capital District has seen a new crop of talented young players entering the PNG Football Association’s Elite Academy program.
The Academy program, designed by the Oceania Football Confederation, is purposely to develop and maintain players who have shown skills in football.
The first batch of players took the Port Moresby National high schools in training.
The under-16 boys selected from schools around NCD were led by technical director Taku Niebo; they will undergo training three times a week as part of building an elite young side for international and national tournaments sanctioned by the PNG Football Association.
The concept was brought forward from the initial Academy Program in Lae and introduced to NCD where students can study while attending the program.
A growing demand from soccer fanatics and players tutoring at the initial level is one factor that needs to be considered far and wide across the country in giving the sport a new phase by starting off with these soccer enthusiasts.
The specialized training is exposing them to a greater amount of football and giving the young talents their first taste of representative or elite training sessions.
Lae’started the program last year and is now into its’ second year while Port Moresby has the opportunity to get the program underway this year.