Butibam tops Ahi Festival

By MALUM NALU
Butibam has taken out the ultimate accolade in the Ahi Festival by winning most medals in the week-long event in Lae.

Butibam team leader Danny Maliaki (second from left) receives the champions trophy from Ahi Festival ambassador John Wilshere

Butibam and archrival Yanga were tied on four gold medals apiece after the grand finals last Thursday and Friday, but when it came to a count back, Butibam won the most medals overall.
Yanga, with a wealth of talent from champion Lae team NS Busu, beat a young Hengali side 40-35 in the men’s basketball grand final at the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium last Friday.

Champion men's basketball team Yanga with festival ambassador John Wilshere (left) and Riback operations manager George Gware

In the play-off for broze, Butibam edged out Wagang 38-32.
In the volleyball grand finals, Butibam beat Hengali 3-1 sets in a thrilling encounter, while Yalu ended up third.

Men's volleyball champions Butibam

Butibam also took out the women’s volleyball gold medal with a 3-0 sets pounding of Hengali.

Women's volleyball champions Butibam

In touch football last Thursday evening, Butibam took out the men’s final with a 3-1 win over Kamkumung, while Hengali ousted Yanga for bronze 4-3.
In the women’s touch football grand final, Yanga beat Butibam 4-3 in extra time, while in the play-off for bronze, Wagang beat Yalu 4-3 in extra time.
The soccer finals were not played because of a dispute involving players and supporters from Yalu.
This marred what was otherwise a very enjoyable week of sports.
In netball, Butibam, with giant international Nettie Sao at the helm, rode roughshod over all and sundry.
The Ahi Festival involved teams from the six Ahi villages of Yalu, Kamkumung. Hengali, Butibam, Yanga and Wagang.

K100,000 pledged for Ahi Resource Centre

By MALUM NALU
The week-long Ahi Festival ended in style in Lae last Friday with more than K100, 00 pledged to build an Ahi resource centre, an education facility which will have a library, computer laboratory and conference and work shop facilities.

Riback Stevedores general manager Peter Boyd with Miss Ahi contestants during the crowning on Friday night

Other expected support is expected to see more than K200, 000 raised for the resource centre.
The pledges were made by Lae business houses, groups and individuals during a function at the Lae International Hotel last Friday night which coincided with the crowning of Miss Ahi.
General manager of Riback Stevedores and major sponsor of the festival, Peter Boyd, was overwhelmed at the support from sponsors
The pledges included K30,000 from Morobe provincial government, K25,000 from Lae Biscuit Company, K10,000 from lawyer Kelly Naru, K7,000 from Wanu family of Butibam village, K5,000 from In Touch Media, K2,000 from Bogan family of Butibam village, K10,000 from Nambawan Super, K5,000 from Aaron family of Yanga village, K10,000 from councilor Douglas Maliaki of Butibam village, K2,000 from PNG Steel and K10,000 from Deugro.
Lae Biscuit Company founder Sir Henry Chow said the company was indebted to the Ahi people as it had built its new factory on customary land at Kamkumung village.



Lae Biscit Company founder Sir Henry Chow makes the company's pledge for K25,000 to the Ahi resource centre

 Sir Henry announced that LBC would be rebuilding the sporting complex at Kamkumung into a homeground for the Lae inter-city rugby league team at a cost of K2 million.
He also revealed that LBG would be sponsoring the Lae inter-city rugby league team from next year onwards and would be looking at renaming the team to Snax Tigers.

Ahi Festival ambassador John Wilshere (left) receives a pledge for K30,000 from Morobe administrator Kemas Tomala

The festival itself ended on a high note with closing remarks by In Touch Media managing director Sir Nagora Bogan
With the theme Promoting Education Through Sports and Culture – the festival was aimed at raising funds for the establishment of the resource centre.
It brought together the six Ahi villages of Yalu, Kamkumung, Hengali, Butibam, Yanga and Wagang to showcase their talent in sports and culture.
Some of the main objectives of the Ahi Festival included:
• Promoting community unity;
• Promoting and preserving Ahi culture;
• Creating awareness on social Issues and assistance available; and
• Showcasing local talents in culture, sports, music and business.

Yanga girl is Miss Ahi 2010

By MALUM NALU

Yanga beauty Christine Amos has been crowned as Miss Ahi last last Friday night at the Lae International Hotel.

Miss Ahi Christine Amos flanked by proud parentsStephanie and Willie Amos at the Lae International Hotel last Friday

Amos, 20, who has just completed Grade 12 at Lae Secondary School, won the crown from 14 other beauties from the six Ahi villages of Yalu, Kamkumung, Hengali, Butibam, Yanga and Wagang in the climax of the week-long Ahi Festival.
She will have five years of university education, in either Papua New Guinea or overseas, paid for by festival sponsor Riback Stevedores.
Riback general manager, Peter Boyd, also announced that the company would be looking at sponsoring Amos to contest the 2011 Miss PNG quest.
Amos, who was lost for words after being crowned, said she would strive to promote the theme of the festival, which is “promoting education through sports and culture”.
“I thank my mum and dad and all the people of Yanga for their support, as well as Riback Stevedores for taking up this intiative to sponsor and organise this festival,” she said.
A good crowd of people attended the crowning, mainly from the six Ahi villages as well as members of the Lae business community.

Miss Ahi Christine Amos (centre) flanked by first runner-up Emily Namung (left) and second runner-up Alang Issac

Runner-up was Emily Namung, 21, from Wagang village, who has just completed Grade 12 at Coronation College, who pocketed K1, 000.
In third place was Alang Issac, 19, from Butibam village, who won K500.
The other 12 participants received K200 gift vouchers from Riback.
The crowning capped off a hectic week for the 15 young women, who were screened and interviewed by judges, and paraded in traditional and modern dress.

MMJV statement untrue

Bulolo MP Sam Basil says a statement issued by the Hidden Valley mine on December 16 claiming he has withdrawn legal proceedings over the pollution of the Watut River is untrue.

"I have not withdrawn the legal proceedings on behalf of 110 landowners who have been seriously impacted by the pollution of the Watut River by sediment and heavy metals from the Hidden Valley mine,” he said.

"For the Hidden Valley mine to claim that I had made an announcement to that effect is simply not true.”

Basil says he has been in dialogue with the mining company Morobe Mining Joint Venture (MMJV) and representatives of its owners, Harmony Gold and Newcrest Mining, in an attempt to find a satisfactory resolution of the issues without having to go through lengthy and expensive court proceedings.

"To that end I have agreed not to take any further steps with the litigation until my lawyers and scientists meet with the mine owners in January,” he said.

“But I have not, and I repeat have not, withdrawn the proceedings.

"I am also very disappointed that MMJV have not issued a further media release, as requested by my lawyers, correcting the public record.”

 

For more information contact:

Sam Basil - Mobile: 7215 4806

Tiffany Nongorr - Mobile: 7268 9295

 

Basil denies MMJV claims

Bulolo MPSam Basil, says a statement issued by the Hidden Valley mine on December 16 claiming he has withdrawn legal proceedings over the pollution of the Watut river is untrue.

 "I have not withdrawn the legal proceedings on behalf of 110 landowners who have been seriously impacted by the pollution of the Watut river by sediment and heavy metals from the Hidden Valley mine,” he said.

For more information contact:

Sam Basil, Bulolo MP             - Mobile: 7215 4806

Tiffany Nongorr                      - Mobile: 7268 9295

 

 

 

Wilshere a big hit in Lae

From MALUM NALU in Lae
Former Kumul rugby league captain John Wilshere was a big hit in Lae over the weekend in the lead-up to the inaugural Ahi Festival which he officially opens at the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium today (Sunday).
Wilshere, the last captain  of the respected Kumul sides which won the Pacific Cup in 2009 under coach Adrian Lam before this year’s well-known disaster at the Four Nations, is the ambassador of the festival and a true son of Ahi from Butibam village.
He got the ball rolling by leading a 20-strong motorcade through pothole and crime-infested Lae to promote the festival last Friday and continued his tour de force the next day with a visit to each of the six Ahi villages – Yalu, Kamkumung, Hengali, Butibam, Yanga and seaside Wagang – to present them their uniforms and sporting equipment.
It was just in time for Christmas as Wilshere put smiles on the faces of the long-suffering Ahi people.
The festival, a weeklong extravaganza of Ahi sports and culture including a Miss Ahi pageant, begins tomorrow (Monday) after today's opening.
Wilshere was accompanied by key organisers including Riback Stevedores operations manager George Gware and games coordinator, former champion sportsman Bob Aaron.
He was feted like royalty at each of the six villages, who laid out the red carpet and welcomed him with traditional song and dance, and plied him with gifts.
Wilshere’s message at each of the six Ahi villages was simple: nothing was impossible with discipline, hard work and commitment.
“I ask that you all play fair and may the best team won!” was his resounding message.
The festival, the first and biggest of its kind to be held in Lae, is aimed at promoting Ahi culture, unity, social issue awareness and showcase local talent in sport, music and business.
Proceeds of the festival will go towards building a resource centre to be known as Ahi Resource Centre which would have a library, computer laboratory, and conference room and workshop facilities.

Papua New Guinea may bar foreign tuna fishers from its EEZ

THE National Fisheries Authority (NFA) has proposed to bar all foreign flagged vessels from fishing within the PNG economical exclusive zone if compatible management measures are imposed by Western Central Pacific tuna commission (WCPTC) in the high seas, The National reports.

This was the bold message from Fisheries minister Ben Semri at the opening of the 7th WCPTC meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii this week.

Semri said PNG, through the NFA, would take this measure if the WCPTC encroaches into the EEZs of coastal states instead of operating the high seas.

He said if the tuna commission could not do its functions and interfered with the measures that coastal states carry out within the EEZ, then PNG might be left with no option but to consider closing the EEZ to all foreign flagged vessels that were licenced under bilateral and multilateral arrangements. 

PNG has abundant tuna resource which accounts for approximately 500,000 metric tonnes within PNG’s EEZ (10% of the world catch).

Semri also said PNG supplied 10% of the world tuna catch, of which more than 80% comprised skipjack. 

PNG has a strong partnership with private sector partners which had laid the foundation to build a strong national tuna fishing and processing industry that used tuna caught within PNG’s EEZ.

NFA managing director Sylvester Pokajam said the sustainable management of tuna resources was a “paramount concern” to PNG.

“We have continuously carried out management measures and put in place tools to ensure the sustainable management of tuna for the future generation,” he said.

Semri told the tuna commission to carefully impose compatible management measures in the high seas so that the fisheries resources, especially tuna species, were managed sustainably.

The NFA had done PNG well in terms of tuna, other fisheries and marine resources management, he said.

As part of management and conservations exercise, NFA has developed a web-based vessel monitoring system (VMS) that is more powerful and more flexible to provide real time reporting and data management.