Polye calls on Tkatchenko to stop making cheap arguments

PNG Sports and National Events
Minister Justin Tkatchenko 

PORT MORESBY: The debate between the government and the Opposition on overhauling Rugby League standards and its international ranking in the country has taken another turn.

Opposition Leader Don Pomb Polye has called on the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and his Sports and National Events Minister Justine Tkatchenko to develop sports as a commodity in the country.

And that Mr Polye has also urged the government to refrain from talking about trivial matters, which do not help address the issues.

“Our learned minister has missed my point.

“In a nutshell I did call for two things-the administration and management of rugby, and diversification of sports in the country,” he said.

He said there was a need to equally fund other sporting codes to cultivate raw talents.

“When we are in government, we will equally develop and fund other sporting codes like racing car, archery, hiking, boxing, soccer, swimming, athletics, gymnasium, shooting, cricket, basketball, baseball and rugby union among others.

“We will include them in our education syllabus so that our children should start learning each of them from the elementary to high schools,” he said.

Polye said the government could not continue to blindly support rugby league without fixing the problem, which has been outstanding since independence.

“PNG Kumul ranking has slumped and that we cannot continue to pump in more money without addressing the issue,” said Mr Polye.