Sunday, October 18, 2009
Will Enga Mioks or Rabaul Gurias win Sunday's bemobile Cup rugby league grand final?
Results of my latest poll:
Enga Mioks: 17 (65%)
Rabauk Gurias: 8 (30%)
No opinion: 0 (0%)
Don't know about the issue: 1 (3%)
Breaking news: Rabaul Gurias have just taken out the 2009 bemobile Cup with a convincing 24-14 win over Enga Mioks
Enga Mioks: 17 (65%)
Rabauk Gurias: 8 (30%)
No opinion: 0 (0%)
Don't know about the issue: 1 (3%)
Breaking news: Rabaul Gurias have just taken out the 2009 bemobile Cup with a convincing 24-14 win over Enga Mioks
Gurias win bemobile Cup
Rabaul Gurias have just taken out the bemobile Cup with a 24-14 ousting of Enga Mioks at the Lloyd Robson Oval in
Story and pictures to come.
Storm Boy brings back memories of ‘happy days’ of cinema in PNG, celebrates the life of ‘Mr Percival’
The Storm Boy book cover
Storm Boy and Mr Percival
Mr Percival, who died at Adelaide Zoo last month, aged about 35Last Sunday, after a long day at work, I went home to find my children already fast asleep and yet another cold meal that has become so much a part of my life as a journalist.
It was close to midnight, EMTV had closed, but was playing the Australia Network featuring a film that I had seen more than 30 years ago as a 10-year-old in Lae.
I tried to wake up my children to watch this, one of my all-time favorite movies, but to no avail.
That film was Storm Boy, based on a book by Australian Colin Theile, and which was later made into a classic Australian film of the same name in 1976.
The showing of the film was also to celebrate the life of one of the film’s stars, the pelican Mr Percival, who passed away at the Adelaide Zoo last month aged in his mid-30s and who had reached superstar status by starring in a film.
A short obituary to Mr Percival was also read after the film.
In 1976, the bird was used in Storm Boy, the film based on Colin Thiele's novel about a boy who raises three pelicans.
The boy is forced by his father to release them, but one bird, Mr Percival, returns.
The Coorong near the Murray mouth was the setting for the movie.
Storm Boy was a movie that touched my heart – and that of so many other children - so many years ago as a child in Lae.
I already have a copy of the book at home and my children enjoy every minute of me reading the book to them, which just goes to show the timelessness of Storm Boy.
It also brought back so many memories of another day, particularly of the now-extinct movie theatres, which once abounded all over Papua New Guinea.
A whole generation in Papua New Guinea has sadly grown up without knowing the experience of watching movies in a cinema.
In the “happy days” of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, cinemas were commonplace all over the country.
Those of us who grew up in that roaring and memorable period will know the joy of watching films on the big screen.
These days, with the advance of television, video, VCDs, and the Internet, the movie projector has become as antiquated as the time-honored typewriter.
Anyway, it was in 1978, when I was 10, that my father brought my elder brother David and I to the Huon Theatre at Eriku in Lae one rainy night to watch Storm Boy.
I remember sitting with my eyes glued to the big screen, following Storm Boy’s every move, until I broke down and wept with him when his pet pelican Mr Percival was shot by hunters along a lonely, windswept Australian shore.
Every once in a while there is a special film, a film that appeals to all ages, a classic family entertainment that celebrates life and joyfully touches the heart.
Storm Boy is that film.
Storm Boy (Mike) lives with his recluse father, Hide-Away Tom, on South Australia's lonely and beautiful coast.
Years before, when Storm Boy’s mother had died, Hide-Away Tom had left Adelaide and gone to live like a hermit by the sea.
Here his Storm Boy’s spirit roams with his pet pelican, Mr Percival, and his secret Aboriginal friend, Fingerbone Bill.
He knows no other world.
Suddenly there are intruders: the local school teacher who wants him to take lessons, a resentful wildlife ranger, duck shooters, hooligans with loud music.
Storm Boy, growing up, is forced to choose between a life of continued isolation and the challenges of the outside world.
One time the hunters are in the area, Mr Percival is shot down and Mike does a mad search through the long grass to find him.
The search is unsuccessful and Mike cries as he walks along the beach remembering times they spent together.
Fingerbone eventually finds Mr Percival and buries him.
He shows Storm Boy the grave he dug, and there are a few moments of sadness, but this is turned to hope when Fingerbone shows Storm Boy a nest with a freshly hatched pelican in it: "Mr. Percival all over again, a bird like him never dies."
The film was one of the first Australian feature films made for children to become well-known and both the book and film are still widely used in school English programmes.
It was close to midnight, EMTV had closed, but was playing the Australia Network featuring a film that I had seen more than 30 years ago as a 10-year-old in Lae.
I tried to wake up my children to watch this, one of my all-time favorite movies, but to no avail.
That film was Storm Boy, based on a book by Australian Colin Theile, and which was later made into a classic Australian film of the same name in 1976.
The showing of the film was also to celebrate the life of one of the film’s stars, the pelican Mr Percival, who passed away at the Adelaide Zoo last month aged in his mid-30s and who had reached superstar status by starring in a film.
A short obituary to Mr Percival was also read after the film.
In 1976, the bird was used in Storm Boy, the film based on Colin Thiele's novel about a boy who raises three pelicans.
The boy is forced by his father to release them, but one bird, Mr Percival, returns.
The Coorong near the Murray mouth was the setting for the movie.
Storm Boy was a movie that touched my heart – and that of so many other children - so many years ago as a child in Lae.
I already have a copy of the book at home and my children enjoy every minute of me reading the book to them, which just goes to show the timelessness of Storm Boy.
It also brought back so many memories of another day, particularly of the now-extinct movie theatres, which once abounded all over Papua New Guinea.
A whole generation in Papua New Guinea has sadly grown up without knowing the experience of watching movies in a cinema.
In the “happy days” of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, cinemas were commonplace all over the country.
Those of us who grew up in that roaring and memorable period will know the joy of watching films on the big screen.
These days, with the advance of television, video, VCDs, and the Internet, the movie projector has become as antiquated as the time-honored typewriter.
Anyway, it was in 1978, when I was 10, that my father brought my elder brother David and I to the Huon Theatre at Eriku in Lae one rainy night to watch Storm Boy.
I remember sitting with my eyes glued to the big screen, following Storm Boy’s every move, until I broke down and wept with him when his pet pelican Mr Percival was shot by hunters along a lonely, windswept Australian shore.
Every once in a while there is a special film, a film that appeals to all ages, a classic family entertainment that celebrates life and joyfully touches the heart.
Storm Boy is that film.
Storm Boy (Mike) lives with his recluse father, Hide-Away Tom, on South Australia's lonely and beautiful coast.
Years before, when Storm Boy’s mother had died, Hide-Away Tom had left Adelaide and gone to live like a hermit by the sea.
Here his Storm Boy’s spirit roams with his pet pelican, Mr Percival, and his secret Aboriginal friend, Fingerbone Bill.
He knows no other world.
Suddenly there are intruders: the local school teacher who wants him to take lessons, a resentful wildlife ranger, duck shooters, hooligans with loud music.
Storm Boy, growing up, is forced to choose between a life of continued isolation and the challenges of the outside world.
One time the hunters are in the area, Mr Percival is shot down and Mike does a mad search through the long grass to find him.
The search is unsuccessful and Mike cries as he walks along the beach remembering times they spent together.
Fingerbone eventually finds Mr Percival and buries him.
He shows Storm Boy the grave he dug, and there are a few moments of sadness, but this is turned to hope when Fingerbone shows Storm Boy a nest with a freshly hatched pelican in it: "Mr. Percival all over again, a bird like him never dies."
The film was one of the first Australian feature films made for children to become well-known and both the book and film are still widely used in school English programmes.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
University of Goroka stars Shine in Mamma Mia!
By KATE GUNN of University of Goroka
The University of Goroka has done it again!In its stage production by final year expressive arts students, UOG has proven that Papua New Guinea has its own home-grown talent in the genre of contemporary performing arts.
A production of the stage musical smash Mamma Mia! was held on campus on Wednesday 14th October and Thursday 15th October 2009, to a fully-packed Mark Solon Auditorium.
The students involved in the musical undertook most production responsibilities: stage management, scene changes; props; music and singing with support and guidance from staff in the expressive arts department.
The students proved to the audience that they had great talent in the areas of expressive dance, singing and acting. Staff and students were impressed by the professionalism of the production, and enjoyed the performance of a contemporary musical drama on stage.
The storyline of the musical was that of a bride-to-be trying to discover the identity of her father in order to feel “complete” for her big day, as told through performances of hit songs by the ‘70s pop group ABBA.
The musical explored the themes of finding your identity; family; love and the mistakes made in life.
For further information please contact:
Ms Kate Gunn
Public Relations & Marketing Officer
The University of Goroka
Ph: (675) 7311 877
Fax: (675) 7321914
Yumi Piksa to Air on CNN
By KATE GUNN of
In a positive development for the University of Goroka (UOG), the Yumi Piksa pilot workshop conducted earlier this year at UOG, in collaboration with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), will be aired this weekend on CNN International on Saturday 17th October and Sunday 18th October 2009.
As part of the its third episode, the programme entitled: Scene by Scene – Films of Asia Pacific, Yumi Piksa will be shown on CNN International as a prelude to the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Scene by Scene takes us into the classroom as Australian filmmaker Verena Thomas teaches filmmaking to students of the
We see some of the fruits of their labour including a film that archives the important work of a man making clay flutes used by the women to call their men.
In July/August of this year, to help students learn the skills of filmmaking and production whilst working amongst their local communities, three short films were compiled and produced by students of UOG with facilitator Ms Verena Thomas, a PhD candidate from
The result of the workshop was the Yumi Piksa documentaries, which focus on telling stories from local communities and are currently gaining a lot of international interest from the media.
Vice Chancellor of the
Be sure to watch Yumi Piksa on CNN on Saturday 17th October at 11.30pm and Sunday 18th October at 5.30am and 6.30pm (
For further information please contact:
Ms Kate Gunn
Public Relations & Marketing Officer
Ph: (675) 7311 877
Fax: (675) 732 1914
Email: gunnk@uog.ac.pg
Or
Ms Verena Thomas
Centre for Health Communication
Ph: +61 2 9514 3847
Email: Verena.Thomas@uts.edu.au
Friday, October 16, 2009
bemobile Cup Grand Final Day Programme
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby
11am Band commences interlude of entertainment between games
11.20am Curtain-raiser women’s match (1)
12.30pm Band commences interludes of entertainment between games
12.50pm Curtain-raise women’s match (2)
2pm Pre-match entertainment
2.20pm Arrival of Governor General Sir Paulias Matane
2.30pm Team arrivals
2.40pm Teams warm up on field
2.45pm Toss with Referee
2.47pm Teams run out and line up
- Dignitaries walk out
- National Anthem
- Balloon release
2.55pm Kick off by the Governor General
3.00pm Official kick off
3.40pm Watete Theatre Company
3.50pm Second half kick off
4.40pm Presentation by Governor General, PNG National Rugby League Chairman Don Fox and bemobile Chairman Anthony Smare
Joe Tokam quietly keeps bemobile Cup wheels turning
By KEITH PUARIA of The National, Papua New Guinea's No. 1 daily newspaper
The beMobile Cup grand final on Sunday between the Toyota Enga Mioks and the NGIP Agmark Gurias will bring the curtain down on Season 2009, however, work does not stop behind the scenes.
Long-serving rugby league man, Joe Kuman Tokam (pictured), has been very much a part of the game since hanging up his boots in 1983.
Mr Tokam is operations manager of Papua New Guinea’s premier rugby league competition, the bemobile Cup.
With the Enga Mioks remaining in Port Moresby after their preliminary win against the Goroka Lahanis last Sunday, and the Gurias set to arrive before the end of the week, technical preparations outside of the playing field have been at full throttle for the competition management team and Tokam in particular.
“Apart from the tussle expected between the two sides on centre stage, we are going flat out before the day, making sure everything is in place, everything technical accounted for, and every little area in sight”, he said.
The competition, since its commencement on June 21 has gone according to schedule, according to Tokam, with no real major concern for organisers, and this weekend will be no different.
“The game has come a long way from the previous years,” he said.
“Apart from the incidents that have been much publicised during the season, and steered away from the main show, it has been a much better year than the past.”
Gates at the Lloyd Robson Oval are set to open at 8am with a bumper programme featuring junior games, women’s games and a whole lot more.
St Francis student wins bemobile Cup design competition
Caption: bemobile Cup designer Florence Metta receives her K10, 000 from bemobile chairman Anthony Smare
By STELLA BITA of bemobile
Thirteen-year-old Florence Metta, a Grade Six student at St Francis Primary School in Koki in the nation’s Capital was declared the winner of the ‘bemobile design the cup competition’ by a panel of judges at the bemobile headquarters on Sept 28.
The nine-week competition that ended on Aug 31 attracted hundreds of entries from students from primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.
bemobile, through chairman Anthony Smare, was on the lookout for a design that was more on a local front and would appeal to the public and promote the image of the semi-professional competition.
On Wednesday Oct 7, a bemobile team headed by Mr Smare and chief commercial officer Chris Raps went to the school and surprised students and staff on the school’s greatest achievement.
A jubilant principal was lost for words upon hearing that one of his pupils had just won K35, 000 by entering the ‘design the bemobile Cup competition: K25, 000 for the school to provide and maintain educational resources and facilities and K10, 000 as a trust fund account to go towards Ms Metta’s school fees in the coming years.
Her design is currently with a local manufacturing firm which is in the construction phase of the new bemobile Cup.
Ms Metta’s design will be unveiled at the presentation of the grand final awards on Sunday.
Ms Metta, accompanied by her aunt Solange, will be there to unveil the 2009 bemobile Cup at the Lloyd Robson Oval.
She will be among a number of very senior dignitaries in the bemobile corporate box on Sunday.
Gurias' proud track record
Caption: The Gurias arriving at
The NGIP Agmark Gurias (previously under different names) have been participating in the PNG intercity rugby league competion since its inception in 1990.
Recruitments over the years have included the likes of John Waka, Kom Rumints, Peter Dun, Stanley Sukot, Menzie Yere, Opisa Pomba, Michael Angra, Ricky Sibiya, Michael Marum, Tuksy Karu, Chris Lome, Baltasa Lome, Raynold Balele, Dusty Mockley, Jessie Alunga, Andrew Buka, Rolly Matalau, Daniel Kulmat, Velarin Akeria, James Soatsin, Stanis Kale, Kelly Nopi and Giamuki Tau.
Many of these players have either represented the Kumuls in the past or advanced on to represent the Kumuls.
Gurias have had a good record over the history of the PNG Intercity Rugby League Competition, formerly known as the SP Cup, now known as the bemobile Cup.
The Gurias’ proud history includes the following;
· 1999 - Runners up Coached by Jeff Wade
· 2000 - Runners up Coached by Jeff Wade
· 2001 - Premiers Coached by Jeff Wade
· 2003 - Premiers SP Shield Coached by Michael Marum with Wesley Wynm co-coach
· 2004 - Runners Up SP Shield Coached by Michael Marum with Wesley Wynm co-coach
· 2005 - Premiers Coached by Norm Norris (NGIP Agmark took over)
· 2006 - Finished 3rd Coached by Norm Norris
· 2007 - Runners up Coached By Michael Marum
· 2008 - Finished 4th Coached by Michael Marum
My first US$100 with Adsense
I'm feeling good today because I've just made my first US$100 with AdSense.
It took me about a year to get this far, and although I started off very slowly, I've picked up quite dramatically over the last couple of months.
This is yet to be confirmed, however, I may be the first Papua New Guinean who has made this much money with Adsense. I have chosen not to pick up the money immediately but let it all accumulate for a rainy day.
Thanks to Google and Blogspot for making all this possible.
Malum
Muscleman David Mugarenang
Muscleman David Mugarenang, from Finschhafe, Morobe province, flexing his muscles at a bemobile Cup grand final dinner at the Crowne Plaza in Port Moresby last night.
Australian rugby league refereeing legend, Bill Harrigan, who will control Sunday's grand final between Enga Mioks and Rabaul Gurias, was the guest at the dinner and reminisced on his long and colouful career as a whistle-blower.
Kokopo's new kid on the blog
Another newcomer on the
Way to go Daniel, and I’d like to see more such bloggers emerge from every nook and cranny in our diverse, beautiful and exotic country.
We bloggers can make a change in
Thursday, October 15, 2009
APEC Business Advisory Council supports a conclusion of the Doha Round but warns of risks to WTO's relevance
Issued by the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC)
Earlier this week, ABAC members met with WTO Ambassadors and Director-General Pascal Lamy in
While business generally supports the multilateral process and the WTO, explains Tony Nowell, ABAC Liberalization Working Group Chairman, scepticism has been steadily rising because of the widening gap between rhetoric and action.
Conversely, he says, support has been growing for the establishment of a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP). APEC Leaders have instructed officials to develop specific recommendations for moving forward on an FTAAP, an idea espoused by ABAC since 2006.
“While an FTAAP and the WTO are not incompatible – both will go on regardless of the outcome of Doha – it does take away focus on the Doha Round and forces business to adapt to new challenges that the WTO has yet to consider. There is real danger that the WTO’s relevance may be questioned if it is not in a position to have any influence on these issues – particularly now that the supply chain business model has become the norm.”
According to Teng Theng Dar, Chairman of ABAC 2009, the APEC Leaders’ Meeting in Singapore in November may be a golden opportunity to declare a commitment to complete the Round on time, given the presence of Leaders of economies that account for almost half the world’s trade and including the USA, China and Japan.
“With the global economic recovery still fragile and business and consumer confidence still unstable, any signal, whether positive or negative, is going to be magnified in its impact. It is therefore critical that the news coming out of
The message that ABAC heard in
“We are told that completion of the Round by 2010 is indeed possible but that several things will have to happen within a relatively short period of time. In terms of the process itself, all technical issues should be settled by late this year. On the substantive issues of the negotiations, it seems that movement from the major players – particularly the
Incoming ABAC Chair Gempachiro Aihara, said that the while the new Japanese government has yet to unveil its economic and trade policies, past experience suggests that these policies will favour positive engagement with the global economy. He expressed optimism that, as host of APEC in 2010,
ABAC was created by APEC Leaders to provide a business perspective on regional economic integration. Members are appointed by the Leaders of each APEC member economy.
For more information, please contact:
Mr. Martin Yuoon, ABAC Executive Director 2009 at (+65) 6827 6886 or at mkhyuoon@sbf.org.sg
Mr. Antonio Basilio, ABAC Secretariat (+63-2) 845 4564 or at abacsec@pfgc.ph
Ms. Tran Bao Ngoc, APEC Secretariat (+65) 6891 9616 or at tbn@apec.org
InterOil strikes another bonanza at Antelope 2
Antelope 2 appraisal well confirms extent of reef reservoir
PORT MORESBY, October 15, 2009: INTEROIL Corporation today announced that drill stem test (DST) Number-1 in the Antelope-2 well at Upper Purari River in Gulf Province tested natural gas and condensate at a rate of 14.1 million cubic feet of gas per day with 16.5 barrels of condensate per million cubic feet.
The test was conducted in the open hole interval from 6,011 feet (1,832 meters) to 6,175 feet (1,882 meters) through a 35/64 inch choke with flowing tubing pressure of 2,070 pounds per square inch.
The gas flow rate was significantly limited by the 3/4 inch downhole DST equipment.
Prior to initiating DST Number-1, the well was cored from 6,057 feet (1,846 meters) to 6,175 feet (1,882 meters) and 117.5 feet (35.8 meters) of 4 inch core was successfully recovered (99.4%
recovery).
“We believe that the core sampling indicated very good visual porosity and vugs (small to medium sized cavities inside the core) from the reefal reservoir,” stated Mr Phil Mulacek, chief executive Officer of InterOil.
“We believe that the core demonstrates excellent visible porosity and the core sample closely resembles the reservoir quality demonstrated by the flow test at Antelope-1.
“In addition, the DST and core confirms the presence of reefal dolomitisation 345 feet higher than expected and 2.23 miles from the Antelope-1 well.”
The primary objectives of the Antelope-2 well are to:
- penetrate the southern margin of the Antelope Reef and determine the extent of the dolomite cap or higher porosity limestone reservoir predicted from seismic evaluation; and
- investigate the lower transition zone to further quantify and evaluate the nature of the fluid contacts in the southern extent of the field, in particular providing more information on the vertical extent and any commercial potential for either a heavy condensate or oil leg.
For further in formation please contact
Susuve Laumaea
Senior Manager Media Relations InterOil Corporation
Ph: (675) 321 7040
B-Mobile: (675) (7) 684 5168 /Digicel: (675) 72013870
Email: susuve.laumaea@interoil.com or at slaumaea@digicelpacific.blackberry.com
"Mioks in crisis" - a myth
By *PHILIP KEPSON
When the print media published at their prestigious back page a news story with a headline“Mioks in crisis” on the wholesale sacking of the team officials towards the end the first round of the bemobile Cup challenge, patrons of the team were obviously baffled.
Some of them said: “What the hell is going again”, while some said, “Just give up with this Mioks, and forget them”.
Such remarks were inevitable particularly following their daunting performance in the previous two years with allegations of rape and airport brawl incidents involving players of the team.
However, the patron and strong advocate of the team Governor Peter Ipatas and major sponsor, Ela Motors, were charily briefed by the board before the team manager, the head coach, trainer and three players were presented with their marching orders.
In fact, the board under the chairmanship of Robert Ganim, told the Governor and the sponsors that they were coming up with the hard decision on reasons directly related with discipline to protect the team.
Thus, the board did not waste time in recalling former coach Toksy Nema, expoliceman Peter Kapi as team manager and former Kumul Centre Paul Gela and young Norman Simon of the Wabag rugby league as trainers.
They were given clear instructions before allowing them to take charge of the team with strong emphasis on discipline and commitment while telling the players not to stick their nose into the board’s decision.
Soon after the changes, the team went on to record rousing victories against most resilient teams like Mt Hagen Eagles, Mendi Muruks and Lae Bombers as there was apparent sign of desirable improvement in discipline among officials and players.
When the team continued on with its winning spree in matches both at home and in Lae with credible score lines, any speculation that the team was heading for a disaster started to disappear as thousands of Engans from four corners of the province flooding into Johnson Siki oval on Sundays to grant the much-needed support, receptively led by their illustrious provincial leaders including Governor Ipatas, Paul Kurai, Gutnius Lutheran Church Bishop Rev David Piso, Yasua Kome, senior public servants, Wabag town residents and other prominent figures.
In fact, the team that absurd critics and the media speculated to be heading for a disaster received supplementary morale boost when the small business houses in the province, the meticulous public servants and their gracious cosponsor, the Enga provincial government committed over K100,000 to subsidise entrance (gate) fees to encourage more people to come and watch and provide their support in the last four home games which gainfully saw Mioks recording an all out win of their home games to comfortably finish second on the competition ladder of the first ever bemobile Cup with 20 points after Rabaul Guira on 22.
The excitement among local supporters did not stop in Wabag when the competition authorities scheduled all Toyota Mioks final matches against Mendi Muruks, Goroka Lahanis and Masta Mak Rangers to be played in Lae.
The supporters in the province swiftly mobilsed themselves with over 200-500 vehicles including 40 buses and booked out hotels and guest houses in Lae to urge their much-loved team on, which consequently saw the Muruks and Rangers getting belted out of the race while narrowly losing to Lahanis before they paid back in the major semi final showdown last Sunday in Port Moresby with a convincing 18-10 score line.
Despite the victories, particularly with the excitement reaching greatest heights, there were instances of disasters including three car accidents along the Highlands Highway involving over 50 men and women who sustained minor injuries, smashing of car windscreens by hooligans on the road during night travels and lavish spending of their money on the trips to Lae, the enthusiasm continued to become an overriding factor.
Added to the strong support base in Enga were sincere backing by people from the five Highlands provinces including a faction of Sepiks in Lae as the Toyota Mioks team this year is composed extensively of players from various parts of the Highlands region.
Not only the Highlands region but it has also players from Lae where one of them is from Sepik or better known as "a Sepik from Lae" .
In this way, when the team wins, grand celebrations are held in Mt Hagen, Mendi, Kagua, Jiwaka, Goroka, Asaro, Henganofi, Enga, Kundiawa, Sinasina and Lae where the players’ relatives and supporters live.
On the whole, when the players were recruited from the popular Coca-Cola Ipatas Cup in the beginning of this year (before the competition started), to make it to the grand final was not in their mind as the players were from unknown rural leagues.
But Governor Ipatas told them during a Coca-Cola Ipatas Cup presentation night in Wabag after the new team was announced that one of the reasons for forming the Coca-Cola Ipatas Cup was to tap into the hidden talent in the rural sector of the country to give equal opportunity to those who had been overlooked for many years.
He said he had all the confidence that his new team would become competitive in the bemobile Cup challenge.
“I have all the confidence that you will become a competitive team with players from the towns that are participating in the semi professional team. Lift your heads and think positive towards taking on this challenge,” he told the players.
After that, Governor Ipatas held a meeting where he made a few changes to the membership of the board and gave them the challenge of taking on the new team to be successful in the competition.
Despite Governor Ipatas’ confidence in his team, the team under the circumstance started as underdogs with a bunch of unknown players.
However, Governor Ipatas and his new board kept holding their heads high with regular meeting and doing what they thought was best to shape up the team with the aim of proving all critics wrong one day.
Congratulations to Governor Ipatas and his hard working board members, sponsors and supporters for basically doing that (proving critics including the media wrong) when they emerged from nowhere in the competition to be on the top to make the grand final of the prestigious bemobile Cup.
The Toyota Miok board deserves a special credit for taking one of the biggest risks ever to endorse a wholesale sacking of the officials, which later paid off with the greatest reward of seeing a bunch of unknown players beating all odds to qualify eventually for the grand final of the exalted bemobile Cup.
As the two teams, Toyota Mioks and Rabaul Agmark Guria, are moving closer to the greatest showdown on Sunday, the supporters in both camps are gearing up to cheer on their teams, while the Mioks in particular think that if they were the first to bury the Gurias in their own graveyard in 2000 in the former SP Cup with an 8-6 score line in Kokopo before they went onto belt them further with 20-16 in the grand final in the same year, they should be confident of repeat that on Sunday.
Well, let’s wait and see the best team wins.
*Philip Kepson is publicity officer of the Enga Mioks
When the print media published at their prestigious back page a news story with a headline“Mioks in crisis” on the wholesale sacking of the team officials towards the end the first round of the bemobile Cup challenge, patrons of the team were obviously baffled.
Some of them said: “What the hell is going again”, while some said, “Just give up with this Mioks, and forget them”.
Such remarks were inevitable particularly following their daunting performance in the previous two years with allegations of rape and airport brawl incidents involving players of the team.
However, the patron and strong advocate of the team Governor Peter Ipatas and major sponsor, Ela Motors, were charily briefed by the board before the team manager, the head coach, trainer and three players were presented with their marching orders.
In fact, the board under the chairmanship of Robert Ganim, told the Governor and the sponsors that they were coming up with the hard decision on reasons directly related with discipline to protect the team.
Thus, the board did not waste time in recalling former coach Toksy Nema, expoliceman Peter Kapi as team manager and former Kumul Centre Paul Gela and young Norman Simon of the Wabag rugby league as trainers.
They were given clear instructions before allowing them to take charge of the team with strong emphasis on discipline and commitment while telling the players not to stick their nose into the board’s decision.
Soon after the changes, the team went on to record rousing victories against most resilient teams like Mt Hagen Eagles, Mendi Muruks and Lae Bombers as there was apparent sign of desirable improvement in discipline among officials and players.
When the team continued on with its winning spree in matches both at home and in Lae with credible score lines, any speculation that the team was heading for a disaster started to disappear as thousands of Engans from four corners of the province flooding into Johnson Siki oval on Sundays to grant the much-needed support, receptively led by their illustrious provincial leaders including Governor Ipatas, Paul Kurai, Gutnius Lutheran Church Bishop Rev David Piso, Yasua Kome, senior public servants, Wabag town residents and other prominent figures.
In fact, the team that absurd critics and the media speculated to be heading for a disaster received supplementary morale boost when the small business houses in the province, the meticulous public servants and their gracious cosponsor, the Enga provincial government committed over K100,000 to subsidise entrance (gate) fees to encourage more people to come and watch and provide their support in the last four home games which gainfully saw Mioks recording an all out win of their home games to comfortably finish second on the competition ladder of the first ever bemobile Cup with 20 points after Rabaul Guira on 22.
The excitement among local supporters did not stop in Wabag when the competition authorities scheduled all Toyota Mioks final matches against Mendi Muruks, Goroka Lahanis and Masta Mak Rangers to be played in Lae.
The supporters in the province swiftly mobilsed themselves with over 200-500 vehicles including 40 buses and booked out hotels and guest houses in Lae to urge their much-loved team on, which consequently saw the Muruks and Rangers getting belted out of the race while narrowly losing to Lahanis before they paid back in the major semi final showdown last Sunday in Port Moresby with a convincing 18-10 score line.
Despite the victories, particularly with the excitement reaching greatest heights, there were instances of disasters including three car accidents along the Highlands Highway involving over 50 men and women who sustained minor injuries, smashing of car windscreens by hooligans on the road during night travels and lavish spending of their money on the trips to Lae, the enthusiasm continued to become an overriding factor.
Added to the strong support base in Enga were sincere backing by people from the five Highlands provinces including a faction of Sepiks in Lae as the Toyota Mioks team this year is composed extensively of players from various parts of the Highlands region.
Not only the Highlands region but it has also players from Lae where one of them is from Sepik or better known as "a Sepik from Lae" .
In this way, when the team wins, grand celebrations are held in Mt Hagen, Mendi, Kagua, Jiwaka, Goroka, Asaro, Henganofi, Enga, Kundiawa, Sinasina and Lae where the players’ relatives and supporters live.
On the whole, when the players were recruited from the popular Coca-Cola Ipatas Cup in the beginning of this year (before the competition started), to make it to the grand final was not in their mind as the players were from unknown rural leagues.
But Governor Ipatas told them during a Coca-Cola Ipatas Cup presentation night in Wabag after the new team was announced that one of the reasons for forming the Coca-Cola Ipatas Cup was to tap into the hidden talent in the rural sector of the country to give equal opportunity to those who had been overlooked for many years.
He said he had all the confidence that his new team would become competitive in the bemobile Cup challenge.
“I have all the confidence that you will become a competitive team with players from the towns that are participating in the semi professional team. Lift your heads and think positive towards taking on this challenge,” he told the players.
After that, Governor Ipatas held a meeting where he made a few changes to the membership of the board and gave them the challenge of taking on the new team to be successful in the competition.
Despite Governor Ipatas’ confidence in his team, the team under the circumstance started as underdogs with a bunch of unknown players.
However, Governor Ipatas and his new board kept holding their heads high with regular meeting and doing what they thought was best to shape up the team with the aim of proving all critics wrong one day.
Congratulations to Governor Ipatas and his hard working board members, sponsors and supporters for basically doing that (proving critics including the media wrong) when they emerged from nowhere in the competition to be on the top to make the grand final of the prestigious bemobile Cup.
The Toyota Miok board deserves a special credit for taking one of the biggest risks ever to endorse a wholesale sacking of the officials, which later paid off with the greatest reward of seeing a bunch of unknown players beating all odds to qualify eventually for the grand final of the exalted bemobile Cup.
As the two teams, Toyota Mioks and Rabaul Agmark Guria, are moving closer to the greatest showdown on Sunday, the supporters in both camps are gearing up to cheer on their teams, while the Mioks in particular think that if they were the first to bury the Gurias in their own graveyard in 2000 in the former SP Cup with an 8-6 score line in Kokopo before they went onto belt them further with 20-16 in the grand final in the same year, they should be confident of repeat that on Sunday.
Well, let’s wait and see the best team wins.
*Philip Kepson is publicity officer of the Enga Mioks
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Winning is the name of the game for Gurias in bemobile Cup final
By BURI GABI of The National, Papua New Guinea's No. 1 daily newspaper
ANY competition starts with everyone wanting to win the title at the end, and the 2009 bemobile Cup is no exception.
NGIP Agmark Gurias team manager Ted Vere said this as his team prepares to play Toyota Enga Mioks in the bemobile Cup rugby league grand final at the Lloyd Robson Oval in Port Moresby on Sunday.
“I directed my boys to win all the seven home games at the ‘graveyard’ at the Kalabond rugby league ground in Kokopo, and at least win four away matches to secure a finals spot in the cup battle,” Vere said,
“But my boys have done extremely well to secure the first grand finals, and to add the icing, claiming the minor premiership tag for this year.
“Our aim now is to take home the cup to Rabaul to our rugby league-loving fans.”
The Gabagaba, Central province man, has adopted well in his new job and has successfully helped steer the Gurias into yet another grand final.
In 2005, the Gurias took the then SP Cup to Kokopo after defeating the Brian Bell Bulldogs from Port Moresby.
This year’s grand final appearance is the talk of Kokopo, with die-hard fans wanting nothing than the return of PNG rugby league’s Auld Mug to the land of tubuans, dukduks and volcanoes.
Hence the Gurias wanting nothing nothing less than to stand on the victory dais come Sunday.
“The victory is for our sponsors, the people of New Guinea Islands, and families of the dedicated players in the squad who have been together over last 14 weeks,” Vere said confidently.
Coach Michael Marum and Vere have been working extra hard over the last two weeks to get the boys together and bolster them to claim the bemobile cup.
The Gurias are not treating this game as anything special and are doing their normal preparations.
Vere says for for the Gurias to win, it will be a team effort from all 17 players and the big guns Diyon Aiye, George Moni, Kot Kerua, and Rodney Pora.
Rolly Matalau, Boas Ruru, Pidik Tongap, Channel Aquila and sneaky hooker Sakias Kambange are others who will be counted on.
“All our fans have been telling us to win this Sunday because both our U16 and U19 NGI teams have won this year’s zone titles, and to finish the year on the high note, it is the senior team who must claim the bemobile Cup competition,” Vere said.
He’s says it’s a big ask but the Gurias will be out to do the job.
Enga's pride wants the bemobile Cup
By BURI GABI of The National, Papua New Guinea's No. 1 daily newspaper
THE pride of Enga, Toyota Mioks, want nothing less than the bemobile Cup when they take on bitter rivals Agmark Gurias in the bemobile Cup grand final at the Lloyd Robson Oval in Port Moresby on Sunday.
Mioks’ Captain Courageous David Ako is determined to win for the people of Enga, major sponsor Ela Motors and diehard supporter and Enga Governor Peter Ipatas.
This is despite the myriad of controversies which have beset the team this year.
“We been sleeping and eating together at the Sopas Adventist centre over the last 14 weeks, despite the controversial issues that affected the team and the camp,” he said.
“I’ve told my boys to play rugby league and give back the best results to the people of Enga.
“Let the board and management deal with those issues.”
He said his players had stood together as a despite despite all the setbacks.
Sunday’s game will be a repeat of the 2000 grand final in which the Mioks rode roughshod over the Gurias.
The men from the land of tubuans, dukduks and volcanoes look the have the more-experienced side with seasoned campaigners George Moni, Rodney Pora, Chris Purkikil, Chanel Aquila and Lasan Marabe leading the pack.
Ako is banking on the raging bull David Loko, Timothy Clement, Jonah Mackey, Miok Anjo and creative halfback Mose to lead by example.
With PNG Resident Kumuls halfback Mai Tom and regular five-eight James Meninga back from injury, the Mioks will prove a hard nut to crack for the Gurias.
“It’ll all boil down to defence, which has been a key aspect of our recent victories, as well as ball control,” Ako said.
“We’ll be giving it our all to take the bemobile Cup back to Enga.”
bemobile reflects on the year that was
By STELLA BITA of bemobile
“It was a challenge not knowing what we were going into but good support from the previous sponsors and the national community helped pull us through the year.”
This was the response by bemobile’s deputy CEO John Papazian (pictured) on the first year of sponsorship by bemobile for the bemobile Cup.
The bemobile cup will finally come to a close for the year 2009 on Sunday, Oct 18, after the grand final match between Rabaul’s Agmark Gurias and the Enga’s Toyota Mioks.
This comes after 18 challenging weeks of co-ordinating bemobile Cup games held in four main centres of the country.
But for bemobile, this first year of sponsorship, though challenging, was a great learning opportunity for both the management and the staff of the mobile company.
“The bemobile cup competition is one that is growing from strength to strength,” Mr Papazian said.
“The sponsorship by bemobile enabled the competition to become a flagship event, hence, promoting bemobile provincially and regionally.
“All in all it was great learning opportunity.”
bemobile’s move to sponsoring the cup was based on a more family-oriented perspective.
bemobile, as the major sponsor, had the intention of making the games more family-oriented with rugby league one of the most-liked sports in the country.
bemobile’s chief commercial officer, Chris Raps, says bemobile is still looking into means and ways of improving and encouraging crowds, particularly families, at the bemobile Cup games.
“Sport, basically any sport, is a social and economical tool for the country, but we here at bemobile have opted to sponsor rugby league as it seems to have a great impact in PNG,” he said.
The bemobile cup competition was launched on June 4, 2009, at the Lamana Gold Club in
The competition began on June 21, 2009, with a match between the two city Teams, CIVPAC Vipers and Masta Mak Rangers, at the Lloyd Robson Oval.
The Official kick off was performed by bemobile board chairman, Anthony Smare (pictured).
Matches were also played in Lae, Goroka and Wabag.
With this year’s competition over and done with, bemobile is hopeful to put into action what they have learnt throughout the first year of sponsorship and make the bemobile Cup competition bigger and better next year.
Papua New Guinea National Rugby League thanks sponsors and Franchise companies for job well done
By STELLA BITA of bemobile
The Papua New Guinea National Rugby League is certain that next year’s bemobile cup competition will be bigger and better.
Operations manager for bemobile cup, Joe Tokam, made this known when expressing his satisfaction about the entire competition.
“2009 competition went smoothly,” he said.
“I would like to thank the supporters and spectators of the franchise teams for supporting in good spirits and enhancing a peaceful atmosphere throughout the season.”
He said the reports on riots and disturbances throughout the competition were minor compared to previous incidents in the earlier competition.
He was impressed with the franchise companies for a job well done.
“The franchise companies did very well despite the fact that the league fraternity was not properly organised and I would like to express gratitude to franchise owners for sponsoring their teams,” Mr Tokam said.
He outlined that this year, the competition started very late, therefore, clashing with the international matches scheduled in October.
He said for 2010, the competition would begin in early May, so that there was no clash on venues during the bemobile tournament.
Meanwhile, Mr Tokam is still working on a strategy to help increase the cash flow in all centres where bemobile tournaments are held.
He said to date, only
“I am thankful to the bemobile staff for their time and efforts in coordinating the games,” Mr Tokam said.
“Thank you for your tireless efforts in making the bemobile cup 2009 a success up till the grand final.
“The grand finale will put a halt to the tireless weekends and sleepless nights that many of the staff went through.” Mr Tokam said.
bemobile will be sponsoring the competition over a three year period and spending over K600, 000 per year.
Has Papua New Guinea gone backwards or forwards since independence in 1975?
Results of my latest poll:
Forward 3 (15%)
Backwards 13 (68%)
No opinion 1 (5%)
Don't know about the issue 2 (10%)
Forward 3 (15%)
Backwards 13 (68%)
No opinion 1 (5%)
Don't know about the issue 2 (10%)
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
An afternoon drive outside of Port Moresby
Rundown Ilimo Farm at 15-Mile
Bluff Inn, 17-Mile
Bar at Bluff Inn alongside the picturesque Laloki River
View from the vehicle
16-Mile
Bucolic roadside scenery
I took an afternoon drive today to the Bluff Inn, at 17-Mile outside Port Moresby, and really enjoyed the countryside and picturesque rural scenes, and so close to the city.
Try it, you won't regret it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)