Caption: Minister
Tkatchenko (center) making the announcement.
By MATTHEW VARI
THAT was the announcement made by the National Government through the Minister for Sports and National Events, Justin Tkatchenko, during the week in Port Moresby.
Hailed as unprecedented in the country by the brass of the PNG Olympic Committee and the Sport Foundation- the new incentive will see a total of K5.7 million set aside to ensure the host nation finishes on the top the medal tally in six months time when the South Pacific Games kicks off in Port Moresby.
Minister Tkatchenko said that the government believes it vital to encourage team PNG to strive for their best in the games.
“It is very important that we encourage our PNG sport men and women to aim for their goals and objectives for the pacific games,” he said.
“The government recognizes the hard work and commitment and responsibility of the athletes in their efforts and their endeavors to become gold medal winners in the up and coming pacific games in July in Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby.”
“NEC (National Executive Council) last week, with consultation with the PNG Olympic Committee on what incentive we should give to the athletes to strive for better heights, and the Prime Minister that the government will allocate K5.7 million for the gold medal incentive for the PNG athletes for the Pacific Games 2015.”
He said that money is to be broken up into gold medals only- as the government was serious in recognizing and reward those that receive a gold medal at the pacific games for the aim of the top position in the South Pacific.
The minister explained also that for the first time also the incentive would also cover for each gold winner in team events also and not together collectively under
“If for example the hockey team gets gold at the Pacific games, that means every single player in the team that played the game will get K20,000 each,” Tkatchenko explained.
“So it’s there to recognize the individual effort of athletes that will be showing us how good they are in July for the Pacific games.”
“This is the first of its kind, remember the Commonwealth Games and the gold medals we gave a K100,000 each for Dika and Steven- we looked at the comparisons of the Commonwealth and Olympic games and the PNG Games and also the Pacific Games and we saw that with the SP Games we need to recognize everybody for their hard work and efforts .”
Mr Tkatchenko also pointed out that in partnership with the PNG Olympic Committee they would ensure that the funds go to the athletes towards developing their sporting careers.
“We are happy to partner with the Olympic Committee to ensure that our athletes receive much needed funds, and it is not just there to be given to them so they can just get drunk the next day,” he said.
“The money is there for their future development, for their future aspirations as a champion athlete of Papua New Guinea.”
“We want to see the money spent in the right direction and the PNG Olympic Committee can guide our athletes in that regard.”
An excited President of the PNG Olympic Committee, Sir John Dawanincura, hailed what he said was an excellent relationship between the Minister, the Sports Foundation, and the committee.
“It is unprecedented to say that we are most grateful to the government for recognizing sports as a vehicle to use for national unity and pride, and through sports we have achieved that on many occasions and we aim to achieve that again,” Sir Dawanicura
“I think that through the minister the power for sport is now evident nationwide in whatever fields whether in individual sports or as team PNG when we travel overseas.”
“I am sure that each of the athletes must focus on the gold medal, as that is the primary focus, after they win the gold medal the rewards will come.”
The disbursement of the funds will be done in close supervision of the PNG Olympic Committee to ensure that athletes use them for the right reasons.
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