NiuPower will continue to support rugby league and netball in Central’s Hiri West as part of its Community Investment Program.
During the launch of Hiri West’s first netball tournament on Tuesday, NiuPower community affairs manager Wellington Bellawa said rugby league and netball were the most popular sports in the area.
“As part of our community investment programme, we interact with the five Hiri West villages which are Porebada, Boera, Papa, Lealea and Kido. There are low-cost community initiatives in which we engage. There are areas we support. Sports are one of them, particularly rugby league and netball. The others are education, water supply, sanitation, agriculture and churches.
“We deal with ward councillors who give us ideas which we look into and pursue. Netball is a success story as it is organised, thanks to Netball Papua New Guinea president Ulato Avei. We had supported netball competitions in the area last year. We are supporting the Hiri West tournament, and we look to continue next year and onwards. The thing that inspires us in netball is the age group which Netball PNG starts promoting the sport,” said Bellawa.
NiuPower has been supporting rugby league in the past. “But this year, rugby league has been a little disintegrated and unorganised because there are a lot of groups. We want to work with Central Dabaris in order for Hiri West talents to get a chance to play in the Digicel Cup. But one important thing is, we need to see their ability to organise themselves so that we can provide support,” said Bellawa.