Papua New Guinea Football Association (PNGFA) today announced to its twenty two full member associations a raft of new initiatives and development programs the PNGFA hope will boost the growing popularity of the game.
PNGFA General Secretary Dimirit Mileng says coaching and refereeing courses will be key components of the development program.
PNGFA will be adding two new qualification courses in Coaching; a Junior Coaching License and a Youth Coaching License.
“Junior Coaching License Course is targeting all new (teachers, senior players, community workers etc) persons willing to take up coaching and/or will coach juniors and is mainly for new starters. It is not a course for those who already have a coaching certificate and are actively coaching,” he said.
Mileng said the Youth Coaching License Course is targeting all those who already have a coaching certificate (any level) and purposely to refresh and up-date their knowledge.
“Prior knowledge will be considered at this course and recommendations will be made for eligibility to the next high level course,” he said.
He said PNGFA will also conduct two types of courses in Refereeing; Level – 1 Referee License and Level – 2 Referee License. The Level 1 Referee License Course is targeting all new (teachers, senior players, community workers etc) persons willing to take up refereeing and assistant referees and is a course for new starters only.
“The Level 2 Refereeing License Course is targeting all those who already have a refereeing certificate and may want to refresh and up-date their knowledge. Prior knowledge will be considered at this course and recommendations will be made for eligibility to the next high-level course,” he said.
In other new initiatives, Mileng said PNGFA is planning to establish a Volunteer Development Scheme as well. The scheme is geared toward identifying potential candidates who are willing to offer their time and service in the development of football in a voluntary manner in the communities.
“The candidates will be identified, schooled and monitored in the areas of administration, coaching and refereeing. The candidates will be equipped with minimum required equipment and stationary to carry out development programs in the community,” he said.
He said a Volunteer Remuneration Package (VRP) will be offered to successful candidates at the end of each volunteering period.
“We are also working on another program called Grass Roots Soccer or Kom-Kam-Pilai Soka, meaning “Komuniti Kam Pilai Soka (KKPS),” he said.
He said this program is purposely developed to entice and encourage members of the community to play soccer any time and anywhere. The Program aims to establish how many people in the community follow soccer, talk soccer and play soccer as a form of passing time.
“It requires very little organization, except that every one who will participate in KKPS Program will be required to complete a KKPS Registration Form,” he said.
“All these programs will commence depending on the establishment of new structures in manpower recruitment,” Mileng said.