REVIVING SCHOOL FOOTBALL IN LAE CITY

PNGFA Acting Technical Director, Felipe Arango Alonso, wasted no time in engaging with schools in Lae to reignite school football and its league.

During his recent visit to Lae, Felipe, alongside his team members Harrison Kamake (Head of Education) and Talent Development Officer David Muta, met with teachers at the PNGFA Education Centre, located at 11-Mile outside Lae City.

The meeting saw attendance from school representatives, including Martin Thomas and Lopath Bokifa (Bowali Primary School), Lipu Pamba and Kepus John (Omili Primary School), Rudolf Fred (Tent City Primary School), Jothan Aarom (Lae Secondary School), Kinock E. Gindo (Ganton Primary School), Ere Baizah (Butibam Primary School), and Garung Zoriky Miadu (Bugandy Secondary School).

Felipe expressed that the feedback from the meeting was overwhelmingly positive. He emphasized that the schools are well-established, with a pool of student-athletes and fields for training. However, he noted that while schools play a crucial role in the country’s football development, they still require support.

Currently, the Lae Primary School Football Association has 19 registered schools participating in the program.

Felipe explained that the purpose of the meeting was to understand the schools’ current challenges, followed by a presentation covering various aspects of football, including competition structure, coaching pathways, and player registration and identification.

The PNGFA, Felipe stated, can help design the structure and format of the school league, as well as support in key areas such as equipment, coach education, and league organization.

A key point discussed was the need for a coaching pathway. To achieve this, all teachers involved in coaching the school teams will need to obtain the MA Grassroots certificate. This certification will not only open doors for future coaches but also increase the number of certified coaches across the country, ultimately raising the level of coaching and, in turn, enhancing the players’ performance.

For these initiatives to be implemented, approval from the Department of Education is required. Felipe highlighted that PNGFA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Education Department to deliver the FIFA-sanctioned Football for Schools (F4S) program. The PNGFA Technical Department can collaborate with the Education Department to review and approve the school football competition nationwide.

A similar meeting is scheduled for school teachers in Port Moresby on Friday, March 8th, 2025.