Latest news with #PortMoresby-based
Sydney Morning Herald
18-07-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Key figure standing down in PNG's league team bid is a welcome move
The chairman of the successful bid for Papua New Guinea's new rugby league franchise faces corruption concerns because of evidence linking his company to suspect dealings, and this is a sign of the broader problems likely to confront Australia's diplomatic and sporting attempts to keep China at bay in the Pacific. An investigation by the Herald 's Nick McKenzie and Chris Barrett has unearthed evidence which raises serious questions about whether Wapu Sonk, the head of PNG's biggest company, the state-owned national oil company Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited, sought to benefit personally from dealings with a massive Chinese government company and a plot to funnel contracts to a company Sonk owns in Australia. The evidence relates to his business dealings, not the NRL bid. And although Sonk is refusing to answer questions about his transactions, some appear to run counter to Australia's strategy to stymie China's security and economic influence in PNG. Through his lawyers, Sonk has denied allegations of improper or unlawful conduct. Last December, we welcomed the joint announcement by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and PNG Prime Minister James Marape of a $600 million mega-deal for a Port Moresby-based team to enter the NRL competition and development of the sport around the Pacific as recognition of our shared past, present and future and a powerful reminder of how sports diplomacy can connect two countries. Previous Coalition governments had taken their eyes off the Pacific, allowing China to slip under our guard and sign a defence deal with the Solomon Islands. The Albanese government has since scrambled to counter China's growing influence in the Pacific with sports diplomacy. Loading But the questions over Sonk highlight that such diplomacy is a difficult balancing act: Canberra's bankrolling of the NRL in the Pacific has alarmed rugby union chiefs in Fiji, Tonga and Samoa. The rugby leaders have formed new links with China amid concerns their national game could be cannibalised by a foreign taxpayer-backed rival code, and they are now appealing to the Albanese government for a piece of the action, courtesy of a $150 million injection into their national game. Generally speaking, diplomacy and corruption are also built into Melanesian cultural and traditional practices of reciprocity, with both the wantok and big man systems absorbed into the administrative system that helped establish PNG independence in 1975. The result has been that MPs and business leaders reshape power to extend an accumulation of wealth to help relatives, and one big man's corruption is another's family support. Australian governments have historically turned a blind eye to this Pacific cultural norm. Indeed, the focus of attention on the PNG/NRL deal has been mainly geopolitical, with no acknowledgement of the problems associated with supporting such an innovative and well-intentioned policy.
Scoop
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
Hekari Womens FC Kick Off Campaign With Impressive Win
Papua New Guinea champions Hekari Womens FC have made the perfect start to their OFC Women's Champions League campaign with a commanding 12-0 win over American Samoa's PanSa. The Port Moresby-based powerhouse side are determined to go one better after consecutive runner-up finishes in the competition, and made their intentions clear from the outset against the tournament debutants. It didn't take long for Ericsson Komeng's side to find their rhythm. Romona Padio who missed last year's tournament in Solomon Islands showed her class with a powerful finish for the opening goal in the fourth minute. Hekari squandered a couple of chances before striker and captain Marie Kaipu bagged the first of four goals in the 16th minute, with her second coming two minutes later. Calista Maneo headed home the fourth goal in the 21st minute before Kaipu completed her hat-trick in the 25th and scored her fourth two minutes later. PanSa had started the match marking one on one, but coach Diane Justus reverted to more of a low block midway through the half and the tactic helped stem the flow of goals. In fact Hekari spent the remainder of the half largely frustrated by their inability to continue to penetrate the defence before a long-range effort from Michaelyne Butubu squeezed past Rayxena Foma'i in the PanSa goal. Foma'i to her credit made some terrific saves throughout the match, keeping Hekari from adding considerably to their total. Komeng made a raft of changes at halftime to give squad members a run ahead of what will be a much more demanding second match in Group B against defending champions Auckland United on Thursday (local Tahiti time). It took a quarter of an hour for Hekari to add to their tally, and it was a lovely finish from Adi Litia Bakaniceva who squeezed the ball under the advancing Foma'i. Substitute Nenny Elipas then scored arguably the best goal of the game in the 63rd minute with an exquisite right footed finish before a mistake from Foma'i was pounced on by Padio for her second of the game three minutes later. The midfielder had her hattrick in the 75th minute as Hekari showed they are capable of changing gears when needed. Kaipu added her fifth deep into stoppage time, firing high into the roof of the net to complete the scoring. PanSa FC: 0 Hekari Womens FC: 12 ( Romona PADIO 4', 66, 75, Marie KAIPU 16', 18', 25, 27' 90+5, Calista MANEO 21', Michaelyne BUTUBU 45+3', Adi Litia BAKANICEVA 60', Nenny ELIPAS 63')
