Minister lauds Digicel Cup concept

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, September 6, 2015 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

MINISTER for Sport and National Events, Justin Tkatchenko, praised the Digicel Cup competition in the country.

Following the end of another successful season yesterday, he hailed the competition as a pathway that has led to the success of the SP PNG Hunters in the Queensland Intrust Super Cup.

“The most important thing is that the Digicel Cup, Port Moresby Rugby League, and other local clubs around the country are the ones that create our hunters, the ones that create and expose our new rugby league talents,” Minister Tkatchenko said.

“It is very important that they get as much support possible to ensure that rugby league is growing at every level from the professional right down to the grassroots, and Digicel Cup is one stepping stone of the pathway to become a Kumul or to become a Hunter.”

“We must recognize the Digicel Cup and the Digicel Competition was the one that held up Rugby League when it was in total dismay and totally mismanaged.”

“The Digicel Cup was set up to ensure that rugby league continued when everybody else were fighting.”

He praised the commitment of the organizers and management, administration, and franchise sponsors to continue rugby league in the country during the turmoil in the sport.

“Now that we have got rugby league back in order we can now look forward to a proper career path for our juniors and grassroots sporting levels to come up and have a career path to look forward to.”