PAPUA NEW GUINEA (FIBA Oceania) - Papua New Guinea Sports Foundation (PNGSF) launched the inaugural National Girls and Women Sports Day on February 6 to commemorate the valued contributions of its women athletes and sports leaders to the country's sporting achievements.

Basketball Federation of Papua New Guinea's Mum's a Hero volunteer and National Women's Basketball team member, Betty Angula graced the program as the guest speaker in the launch ceremonies.

Angula spoke about her involvement in basketball and her journey as a national athlete for Papua New Guinea.

"I am truly honored to represent my fellow women athletes today and grateful to PNGSF for acknowledging the sportswomen of PNG," said Angula, who played for PNG in the 2015 Pacific Games and 2017 FIBA Melanesia Cup.

"For all the young women out there, you have to be ready to sacrifice a lot of stuff and persevere through the difficult times in order to make a difference," Angula continued. "I had to balance studying and training at the same time and it was truly hard but worth it."

Photo: PNGSF Chairman Henry Chow's speech during the event

PNGSF Chairman Henry Chow was also in attendance alongside PNG Olympic Committee Auvita Rapilla and PNGSF Sports Director Peter Chalapan. Chow shared that the desire to serve is the key to contribute to the growth of their chosen sport.

"I went to one of the best sports schools in Sydney and most of the students excelled in sports except for me. You don't have to be an elite athlete or spokesperson to be involved in sports; you need to have the heart and desire to help others," he shared.

BFPNG Executive Officer, Stephen Damien acknowledged PNGSF and their initiative in commemorating and empowering women in their society.

"We are fully aware of the underlying problem in regards to violence against women in our country and we hope to change that narrative and hope this can be a start to a positive rework in our society," Damien said.

Photo: Angula (third from left) attending the Marie Stoppes Foundation seminar on Tuberculosis

The national federation in association with FIBA and the Pacific Partnership Program by the Australian government started Mum's A Hero in 2018; an outreach program for women of all ages, to educate and enable them to be leaders in their society in terms of teaching the game of basketball.

FIBA Oceania Executive Director David Crocker shared his enthusiasm for the project and lauded the national federation's developmental activities.

"We are extremely proud of the contributions of our Mum's A Hero program in Port Moresby. We are happy to support BFPNG in this endeavor and hope more organizations join us in making a difference in the community."

FIBA