PNG Minister for Sports Don Polye in a press conference today said the ousting of the PNG rugby nines team in the 2023 Pacific Games in Solomon Islands is because of negligence of complying to the PNGOC Justification Committee requirement of the code and the Pacific Games committee.
Minister Polye said the PNG rugby nines team and PNG rugby football League team did not meet the requirements. 
“The rugby nines team did not fulfil the Justification Committee requirements by set deadlines, which includes; the submission of a signed selection policy, the teams final squad list and they did not participate in the two mandatory screening and fitness test” Said Polye.
Minister Polye upon consultation with relevant sporting codes, stakeholders and other governing bodies in the sports fraternity decided not to allow the PNG rugby 9s team to participate in the pacific games these year in Solomon Islands. 

HONIARA: Having the opportunity to undergo a five-day training camp with Solomon Islands Netball Federation (Sinfed) was a bonus in getting ‘Team Netball’s’ knowledge up the ‘elite environment’.
This is according to Australian-based netball and former PNG Pepes coach Gimana Crowdy, who was in the country at Solomon Islands National Institute of Sport (Sinis), purposely to assist ‘Team Netball’ in technical areas of the sport for the upcoming Pacific Games.
Crowdy said the five-day training was a successful one in terms of imparting knowledge and getting players to understand what it meant to make the national team.

Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) held its first ever International Junior Futsal Cup 2022 in Honiara
The National Hosting Authority (NHA) welcomed SIFF to host its sanctioned inaugural international Junior Futsal Cup completed in Honiara from the 17th December to 20th December 2022 at its state-of-the-art Friendship Multi-Purpose Futsal Stadium Sports complex.
Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) Super Futsal League in conjunction with Bulkshop Futsal League and Just Play Futsal Australia have successfully hosted the 4-day Futsal Competition in Honiara.
It is the first International Futsal Competition of its kind to be held in Solomon Islands and was attended by four (4) futsal teams representing Futsal Academies in Australia and 200 young futsal players from local futsal clubs in Honiara under age categories; under 12, under 14, under 16 and under 20.
The NHA had kindly permitted SIFF to use the Friendship Hall for the competition on hire basis in response to a request by the SIFF Super Futsal League Chairman. 

THREE more members of the Papua New Guinea athletics team departed for Australia on Saturday to receive specialist training and attend local competitions in Brisbane.
Daniel Baul and Karo Iga will resume their preparations for the Pacific Games in Solomon Islands later this year while Adolf Kauba will focus his training in sprints and middle distance.
Athletics PNG president Tony Green told The National yesterday that following Kauba’s performance in last month’s PNG Air National Athletics Championship, the federation decided to give him more competition experience before he resumes his studies next month.
“Adolf ran very well at the nationals so we decided to give him some more competition experience before he resumes studies next month,” Green said.
“So his training is more geared towards sprints and middle distance.

THE Papua New Guinea Squash and Racquets Federation is looking to launch an elite girl’s junior squad in the singles dividion next month in preparation for upcoming events in 2023.
PNGSRF president Lady Anna Togolo said PNG Squash had achieved its best results last year despite the Covid-19 disruptions since 2021 and were looking forward to international competitions ahead.
“This year it will be an individual and girls’ team completion, PNGSRF will launch an elite girls junior squad next month for these championships,” she said.
Lady Togolo told The National that PNGSRF had come a long way with their premier squash club, Port Moresby Racquets Club which would be supporting the juniors and elite squads for the international competitions.
“World Squash Juniors will take place in Melbourne, Australia, in late July while the Oceania championship will be held in Fiji in early October.

THE Solomon Islands National Institute of Sports (SINIS) will be hosting its Open Day on January 27th at the SINIS High Performance Center in East Honiara.

The program is scheduled to start from 9am to 2pm.

“We are welcoming the community to SINIS to explore the facility, the programs and services we offer including those of the National Sports Federations (NSFs).

“This day will bring together sports with budding athletes who want to ‘Come & Try’ and find out more about the different, events and programs offered in 2o23.

The make shift apartment housing Chinese workers at the Pacific Games compound has caught fire.

It is not yet certain what caused the fire and police are saying it is too early to speculate.

“We will investigate, our officers are on the way to the area, we should not make any assumptions until after their report,” a police officer said when contacted.

𝑯𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒂𝒓𝒂, 𝟐𝟓𝒕𝒉 𝑨𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒍 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐 (𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆) 
National female athlete Helen Aumae Boso is the newly appointed Solomon Islands National Institute of Sport (SINIS) High-Performance Athlete Advisory Group (AAG) Chair.
The formation of the AAG is to ensure national athletes are well centered and performance driven, while having their voice heard within sports. Helen, a national athlete in multiple sports is thrilled to be part of it the establishment of the AAG. 
“I’m very thankful and at the same time very humble to be appointed as Chair for the Athlete Advisory Group at the Solomon Islands National Institute of Sport (SINIS),” Aumae Boso said
She says that with this avenue, it’s a positive milestone and first of its kind to be introduced - to form a stronger platform for athletes to provide an input in elite sport strategy in the country.

The Solomon Islands Government and Peoples Republic of China (PRC) have signed letters of exchange to fund the 2023 Pacific Games infrastructures worth SBD$2.5 billion(US$100 million).  
 
The signing ceremony was witnessed by top government officials and the officials of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Wednesday, at the Prime Minister’s Office.  
 
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister for Foreign Affairs Jeremiah Manele said the signing of the letters between the two governments confirmed China’s assistance to the Solomon Islands hosting of the 2023 Pacific Games.  

Solomon Islands has submitted a detailed proposal to China for support in hosting the 2023 Pacific Games.

The prime minister last week announced China had promised grant funding of more than $US50 million to support the country's hosting of the games, the ABC reported.

Mannaseh Sogavare's announcement came after an historic state visit to China following the severing of diplomatic ties with Taiwan.