Young gamers from across Port Moresby city took centre stage last weekend at Niugini Esports as Telecom Limited came on board as the official connectivity partner for the tournament that was held at APEC Haus from January 24th to 26th.
The three-day championship brought together youth and young adults to compete in electronic sports, with a strong focus on Call of Duty Mobile, one of the largest gaming communities in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific.
The event was organized by Niugini eSports, a local organization that has been running gaming competitions for the past four to five years.
Founder of Niugini eSports, Ivan Ionagata, said the championship was created to give young people a positive and affordable outlet for their energy.
“There’s a lot of kids. There’s nothing else to do in PNG other than getting up to no good and or everything else being really expensive. Gaming is pretty good. It’s a good way for youths and people from different ages to direct the energy towards and compete against each other,” he said.
Ionagata said eSports also helps young people develop real-life skills.
“It’s a healthy environment where you can practice skills that should apply in real life too, which would be leadership, decision making, especially under pressure,” he said, adding that the vision was to unite people and bring them together with gaming.
Senior gamers in the COD space and fellow tournament organizers echoed the same message, saying the championship offered more than just competition.
“This moment is not just about winning matches. It’s about building the future of the Call of Duty Mobile in PNG,” the organizer said. “It means so much to us as we’re finally given a platform in which we can come and display our skills, skills which can be then interpreted into real life.”
Another organizer highlighted how gaming is often misunderstood by adults.
“In Papua New Guinea gaming is deeply misunderstood. A lot of adults, especially parents, see it as a waste of time,” he said. “But this is a safe space for teenagers and young adults to come and belong, instead of being out on the streets.”
Niugini eSports also acknowledged the role of sponsors in making the event possible, thanking Telikom, PNG Forward, Sanctuary Hotel & Spa, NICTA, Adfocus, Guardian Elite and Hilton Hotel, along with Tropicana, PG Gaming and Concept Management. Organizers said the support was an investment in youth confidence and potential, not just an event.
As eSports continues to grow in PNG, organizers hope championships like this will help change perceptions, build digital skills, and offer young people a safe space to compete, connect and dream bigger in a fast-growing digital world.
