The Papua New Guinea Kumuls outclassed the Cook Islands Aitu in a smashing 46-10 triumph with Nene Macdonald setting a new record for the Kumuls with a 4-try assist here in the Nation’s capital at the Santos National Football Stadium on Sunday. With the first 40 minutesa ticking away, the Kumuls seemed to enjoy ball possession with center Zac Laybutt scoring their first try followed by wing Robert Derby adding more points with only 12 minutes into the game. The Cooks pushed for attempts but were unsuccessful at all in the first half of the match. [caption id="attachment_46349" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Cook Island Skipper Brad Takairangi & Team mates - PC: Nigel-Francis Mado[/caption] But the Kumuls did not stop and saw doubles by Epel Kapinias and Valentine Richard take the home boys further infornt and impossible for the Cooks to catch up. With seconds left on the clock, a runaway by Alex Johnston got the crowd of their feet’s with Zac Laybutt assisting at the end to secure the Kumuls 30-0 at first half. Coming into the second half of the match, Nene Macdonald secured 2 tries for his side within a tiem frame of just 2 minutes. Though the Cooks lost halfback Tevin Arona to a neck injury during the first minute of the game, the Cooks broke off the first half rhythm and pout their first try by Esom Loka. Given that restoration of pride, Cooks wing Steven Masters scored their second taking them to 46-10 at full time. [caption id="attachment_46350" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Kumuls skipper Laybutt getting running repairs - PC: Nigel-Francis Mado[/caption] Cook Islands Coach Karmichael Hunt said, though the result was not what they were after, they still had the determination to pull through. “Though we lost, we had a lot of positives come out off that because we had 6 debutants who were really good for us.” He further stated that, they will have to get boys from New Zealand or Australia to replace the ones with injuries. Meanwhile, PNG Kumuls Coach Justin Holbroke said, though the boys got away with the win, they still need to work on being more consistent as they prepare to go up against Fiji in their next match.

A great comeback from the women in blue as Fetu Samoa ran away with a thrilling 26-12 victory over Fiji Bulikula at the Santos National Football Stadium on Sunday. As temperatures rose to great heat, the ladies from Fiji went with their first opportunity to score their first try by cowboys NRLW player Vatalina Naikore. Fiji tried to push forward to score more tries, ball handling was not so good for the Fiji side despite having much less experience in their squad than Samoa, that soon saw the ball return to Samoa which ended in the hands of Eels wing Lindsay Tui settling both teams at 4-4. Soon after a tireless defense with 13 minutes left on the clock, Samoa took the chance to take the lead with Taylor Mapusua running from the corner to put a clear try followed by a successful conversion by five-eight Pauline-Piliae Rasabale. Annetta-Claudia Nu’uausala secured her another pointer for her just before the end of the first half. Coming back with more energy and power, Lindsay Tui scored herself a double and not just far, Fiji broke the ice with a tremendous catch by Naikore herself to secure a double for her side followed by a back-back try by Aliti Namoce. Despite Samoa ending the final minutes with a sin bin for center Petesa Lio, try scoring machine Mapusua [caption id="attachment_46341" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Fetu Samoa Player Being Tackled By Fiji Bulikula Defenders - PC: Nigel-Francis Mado[/caption] got away with a double to end the game on a high note in front of a cheerful crowd. Fetu Samoa Coach Jamie Soward said, the Fiji side started well despite loosing Destiny Mino-Sinapati and one sin bin, the girls still stuck at it and won. “It was a great game. Great experience to be over here in a rugby league nation." "Great to see that Fetu Samoa is back on the map and I got a special bunch of group of girls and staff that worked hard and tirelessly for it.” Fetu Samoa captain Niall Williams-Guthrie said, despite the late come back, they still made it through. “Though we had a little surge in the back of the game, the girls still stuck tight and we got away with the win.” Meanwhile, Fiji Bulikulas Assistant Coach and former Fiji Bati mentor Shane Morris said, they had a game plan and this was the first time the girls played together as team. Overall, Shane said he is proud of his side’s performance. “It was a bit conky at stages but overall, I am very proud of the girls and what we’ve done." "Samoa is a very good team and going up against most NRLW players and I think we controlled what we came here to do and we did it.” He further stated that, they will continue to do better going forward as they work towards the 2024 games.

The Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee (PNGOC) has finalised the Team PNG contingent for the 2023 Solomon Islands Pacific Games through its Justification Committee. Team PNG will compete in 20 sports, involving a team of 520, including athletes, officials, management, and medical staff. From an initial roster of 24 sports, Rugby 9s, Judo, Sailing, have been excluded, and most recently, Karate, also has been excluded. The decision on Karate is being appealed by the sport to the PNG Sports Dispute Tribunal. Sports endorsed as part of Team PNG to participate at the Pacific Games include: Athletics, Basketball (5x5 and 3x3), Beach Volleyball, Bodybuilding, Boxing, Golf, Hockey, Indoor Volleyball, Football, Netball, Powerlifting, Rugby 7s, Rugby Touch, Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Triathlon, Va’a and Weightlifting. The PNGOC through its fundraising events and sponsorship program, is making every effort to fundraise and secure funds, including government grant to meet Team PNG’s participation budget of K5.3million based on a Team size of 520. The cost per participant to the 2023 Pacific Games stands at approximately K10,000 covering airfares, uniforms, perdiems, insurance, and medicals. National Federations have been levied K2,000 per athlete and official based on their team size, while PNGOC handles the remaining K8,000. All National Federations were given one year notice on the levy fee in November 2022 in order to plan and fundraise on behalf of their athletes and officials. In collaboration with the Minister for Sports and PNG Sports Foundation, the PNGOC aims to secure the Government Grant to meet its participation budget and reduce the levy burden on National Federations. Team PNG’s preparation is supported by Kumul Consolidated Holdings (KCH) through its contribution of K2million, where K1million was received in 2021 and K1million in 2023. The PNGOC extends its gratitude to KCH for its contribution and hopes to secure additional funds to support the final preparations of 32 squads (men, women and mixed teams) across 20 sports that make up Team PNG.

Tickets are on sale now at the J-Mart Supermarket Erima, Santos NFS Ticket sales office and you can purchase your ticket online at www.tiketmastas.com.pg for the first week of the 2023 Pacific Rugby League Championships here at the Santos National Football Stadium. The first match will see the Samoa women’s take on Fiji at 12:45pm and the main event will see the home boys “PNG Kumuls” take on Cook Islands at 3:00pm. The Kumuls side will see Jack de Belin make his Test debut at lock for Justin Holbrook's side and joins Dragons teammate Dan Russell and Titans prospect Jacob Alick in the forward pack. Storm centre Justin Olam is the major omission from the 17 msn team and is under an injury cloud, but has been included in the wider squad, with Zac Laybutt and Rodrick Tai named in the centres. Alex Johnston moves from his usual spot on the wing to line up at fullback. Edwin Ipape is serving a one-game suspension from the RFL and has not been named.

Air Niugini is pleased to announce that the Fokker jet operations to Madang airport has resumed as of this morning, Tuesday 10th October. The National Airports Corporation resumed jet services after the NAC repaired a small portion of the airport runway that was damaged by the earthquake. On the 9th October, Air Niugini downgraded its flights to Madang by using only Dash 8s before resuming jet operations today. Safety is always of paramount importance in Air Niugini’s operations.

A delegation from Papua New Guinea (PNG), including senior officers from central government agencies, and a model vanilla farmer, recently visited Madagascar on an 11-day exposure visit, to learn from Madagascar's vanilla industry sector. The exposure visit was arranged and supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), as part of the European Union-funded STREIT PNG Programme, aimed at promoting the development of vanilla value chain in Papua New Guinea. The visit included meetings with senior officials in Madagascar from the Department of Agriculture and Department of Trade and Industry, private enterprises, and vanilla farmers, as well as visits to various sites, such as vanilla gardens, processing facilities, testing and certification laboratories, and export facilities. They also learned about the challenges and opportunities faced by the vanilla industry in Madagascar, such as climate change, threat of pests and diseases, price volatility, quality standards, traceability, certification, and market access. The delegation expressed their interest in considering the application of some of the best practices and lessons learned, especially on the policy and legislation required for strengthening the vanilla sector from Madagascar to their own context in Papua New Guinea. Mr. Floyd Lala, Director of the National Authorizing Officer Support Unit at DNPM, reflected on the enlightening visit, stating, "After visiting Madagascar, I've gained valuable insights into their success as the world's leading vanilla producer.” “PNG, contributing just 3-4% of global vanilla production, holds immense untapped potential." "From a government perspective, we have a lot to improve upon, particularly in terms of the policies and regulations governing the vanilla sector." "We need to establish necessary standards to significantly boost production.” Mr. Nicodemus Mainga, a model farmer from East Sepik Province, was amazed by the valuable skills and knowledge he acquired during the visit to Madagascar. “I learned a lot about how Madagascar grows its top-quality vanilla, making them the best in the world." "This visit was super helpful for me as a farmer." "Now, I can share these techniques with my fellow farmers in PNG, so we can also make vanilla as good as Madagascar's." "It's a win-win for us, and I'm really happy I came to visit Madagascar.” FAO Senior Agricultural Officer, Mr. Rabi Rasaily, said that the exposure visit was a valuable learning experience for the delegation and that it would help them improve their knowledge and skills in vanilla production and processing, but most importantly, to formulate good governing policies, regulations and standards that protect producers and traders.

The Head Coach of the SP PNG Hunters, Stanley Tepend, has regretfully advised the club that he is leaving for personal reasons because he no longer feels that he can give the role the attention it deserves. The SP PNG Hunters Board and Management have reluctantly accepted the resignation of the Head Coach. Though the SP PNG Hunters Board and Management are disappointed to see Coach Tepend go, the team and players have passed on their thanks to him for his services over the past few years with the Hunters and for his long-term involvement in Papua New Guinea (PNG) Rugby League as a whole. Tepend served as an Assistant Coach of the SP PNG Hunters during the 2022 QRL Hostplus Cup season before taking over as Head Coach for the 2023 competition. The SP PNG Hunters Chief Executive Officer and Football Committee have already begun the process of securing a new Head Coach for the upcoming season and are confident all processes will be in place before preparations begin for their 2024 QRL Hostplus Cup campaign.

Tui Kamikamica will take on a leading role after the Melbourne Storm forward was named to Captain the Fiji Bati side at the upcoming Pacific Rugby League Championship. Kamikamica has gone on to become a mainstay in his homeland’s squad since his representative debut in 2016, recording 16 appearances in the blue jersey in both International Test and World Cup formats, but this will mark the first time the 29-year-old will lead his country on-field. Fiji's will open their Pacific Championships campaign on October 22 when they take on Cook Islands in Port Moresby before facing hosts Papua New Guinea the following week on October 29. 2023 Pacific Championships Schedule Week One – October 14-15 Australia v Samoa (men) at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville Australia v New Zealand (women) at Queensland Country Bank Stadium Townsville PNG v Cook Islands (men) at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby Samoa v Fiji (women) at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby Week Two – October 21-22 New Zealand v Samoa (men) at Eden Park, Auckland New Zealand v Tonga (women) at Eden Park, Auckland Fiji v Cook Islands (men) at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby PNG v Cook Islands (women) at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby Week Three – October 28-29 Australia v New Zealand (men) at AAMI Park, Melbourne Australia v New Zealand (women) at AAMI Park, Melbourne PNG v Fiji (men) at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby Week Four – November 4-5 The Final of the men’s Pacific Cup tournament on November 4 in Hamilton, New Zealand The Final of the men’s Pacific Bowl tournament on November 5 at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby Source: melbournestorm.com.au

Six players who featured in this year's NRL Telstra Premiership grand final have been named in a strong Toa Samoa squad to contest this year's Pacific Championships. Premiership-winning Penrith Panthers quartet Stephen Crichton, Spencer Leniu, Izack Tago and Brian To'o will be joined by Brisbane Broncos duo Keenan Palasia and Jesse Arthars in new coach Ben Gardiner's squad to take on Australia and New Zealand in the tournament starting later this month. However, with Panthers five-eighth Jarome Luai ruled out with a shoulder injury he reaggravated in the win over the Broncos, fresh faces including Daejarn Asi and Karl Oloapu, as well as Crichton are expected to spend time in the halves. Dubbed "the minister for energy" by Gardiner, the coach said he was hopeful to see Luai join the squad and would still be a "close part of what we do". After guiding his side to their first ever Rugby League World Cup final last year, Samoa will again be led by Eels skipper Junior Paulo who said the tournament would provide his team with "another opportunity to shock the world again". "With the balance of young and senior players, it's definitely a good combination that we have got going," Paulo said. Samoa will play its first game of the Pacific Championships against Australia in Townsville on October 14. Source: NRL.com

SP PNG Hunters superstar fullback and 2023 QRL Hostplus Cup Rookie of the Year, Morea Morea is back home with his family following a successful surgery on an injured ankle this week. Morea injured his leg while making his international debut for Papua New Guinea’s PM’s XIII representative side against the Australian PM’s XIII squad at the Santos National Football Stadium in Port Moresby last weekend. Morea’s leg was caught up in an unfortunate tackle in the game and the young fullback was forced from the field. Post-game scans revealed a small break in the young fullback’s ankle. Following the injury, the PNGRFL and SP PNG Hunters have ensured that Morea has received first class medical treatment. He successfully underwent surgery this week at the Pacific International Hospital and will continue to receive support from both Papua New Guinean and Australian medical professionals as he progresses with his rehabilitation. Following a successful surgery and pending an uninterrupted rehab period, the SP PNG Hunters and PNGRFL expect Morea to return to play within 6 months post operation. The injury comes at an unfortunate time, given Morea was likely in the frame for PNG Kumuls selection in the upcoming 2023 Pacific Championships. The SP PNG Hunters expect their star fullback to be back in training for the club’s 2024 Hostplus Cup pre-season preparations, sometime in early February.

While many nationwide celebrated the birth of this great nation, the Port Moresby General Hospital Labour Ward delivered a total of 35 health babies. Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist & Acting Coordinator for the division Dr. Robert Johns said, apart from the usual busy days experienced at the ward, it was a quiet independence day for his team. He said, they received a total of 30 admissions and 5 extra deliveries where from the previous day. “Our load for yesterday, independence blessings, were all okay at birth and none were sent to the special nursery care. And of the 35 deliveries, 2 mothers needed operative delivery and had a cesarean.” Dr. Johns also mentioned that they did not have any maternal deaths or any newborn deaths and was considered to be a very blissful day at the hospital. He said, even though the labour ward has a total of 24 beds, some mothers who went first were sent to the post-natal ward to free up space for incoming deliveries. “We don’t have enough beds, and sometimes, mothers require longer stays up to 24 hours on the bed due to complications or their labours may be pro-longed which takes up bed space, but we try our best to help our mothers deliver safely and get them moved. “Others come in, deliver and get moved to the post-natal ward after 3 hours, which is good because that helps us to clear the bed for another mother to come in and deliver.” Dr. Johns further stated that all the staff were in good spirits and all deliveries went well. The Labour Ward also had enough medical supplies for that day. Meanwhile, the heaviest baby delivered during independence was a baby girl weighing 4.3kg.

The FIBA Under- 17 (U17) Oceania Championship will soon kick off this year in October with only less than 20 days to go. Five men’s teams and four women’s teams will compete in the regional championships with two spots up for grabs at the 2024 FIBA U18 Asian Championships. Reigning champions in both the men’s and women’s competitions, Australia will be out to defend their crowns when the tournament starts on Monday October 2 at Sir John Guise Stadium, Port Moresby. Held across six days, FIBA Executive Director – Oceania, Amanda Jenkins said that the tournament is shaping up to be hotly contested with youth development surging across the region. “We have noticed that while Australia is still strong in the youth ranks, federations like New Zealand, Samoa and Guam are now reaping the rewards of solid investment in youth development.” “As host, Papua New Guinea will also be eager to impress in front of their home crowd, so we are excited to see what this tournament produces.” “At the previous edition of the FIBA U17 Oceania Championships in 2019, we saw Josh Giddey light up the men’s competition hosted by New Caledonia, while in the women’s competition, Parris Mason represented New Zealand, going on to suit-up with Tall Ferns at the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup earlier this year.” If history is anything to go by, Sir John Guise Stadium is set to become another show court in Oceania to unearth the next generation of basketball stars. This will be the first major FIBA event held in Papua New Guinea (PNG) since the pandemic. With just a few weeks of preparation left, Basketball Federation of PNG will officially launch the logo, announce the main event sponsors, and announce the BFPNG U17 National Teams for both men and women. The Basketball Federation of PNG is proudly supported by the Australian Government through PacificAus Sports and Team Up in partnership with FIBA Foundation.