by Bethanie Harriman – EM TV News, Lae
Papua New Guinea’s Sports Foundation is worth a staggering K1.1 billion after sports venues were revamped for the recent Pacific Games in Port Moresby and the PNG Games in Lae.
PNG Sports Foundation Executive Director, Peter Tsiamalili Jnr, said the foundation now has the challenge of maintaining the facilities.
“The onus is on bureaucrats and administrators to capture the leadership and maintain these facilities,” said Tsiamalili Jnr.
Sports venues were funded for the games, while essential services like education, health and other sectors continue to struggle.
The PNG Sports Foundation has enjoyed the fruits of generous government funding of late.
The opening of Lae’s Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium Swimming Pool was from a slice of the K1.1 billion investment into sporting venues in Lae and Port Moresby.
The PNG Sports Foundation’s infrastructure is in a better state than what it previously was, how long that will remain depends on continued government grants and internal revenue generated from the venues hosting major events.
But, if non- essential areas receive budget cuts in the near future, or if the economy shifts, the sports foundation may be affected.
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