Locals schools took part in the event, the second such festival to be held in the country, and the day began with a presentation of the malaria-related materials the children have been studying, such as the displaying of their “Kick Malaria Out” banners and posters.
The campaign’s theme song was also sung by the students of Carr Memorial Primary School as all the participants showed how much they have learned so far on malaria awareness, including the need for a clean environment, eating the right food and the correct use of mosquito repellent.
Following the presentation, the students and teachers headed straight to the field to take part in the football action, which they proceeded to do for the next fun-filled two hours.
Papua New Guinea Football Association Just Play manager Taku Niebo was delighted with the events of the day and is pleased to have seen an increase in some of the youngsters’ skill levels since the completion of the Just Play pilot phase.
“The main thing is to take part in the programme but I have also identified three players who could potentially be part of the national team to compete in the OFC U-17 Women’s Championship in April next year.”
Just Play is a FIFA-approved OFC initiative which promotes physical activity for primary-aged children while encouraging community involvement and healthy living.
It is designed for children aged six to 12 and is based around structured activity programmes as well as the distribution of equipment packs containing balls, cones, bibs, activity manuals and other resources that enable children to play football.
Developed by the OFC social responsibility and technical departments, Just Play was launched in Tonga and has since been introduced in Vanuatu, Tahiti, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and South Auckland in New Zealand.
OFC is working closely with UEFA, the Government of Australia – through its agencies the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) – and Football Federation Australia (FFA) to roll out the programme across the Pacific. The Australian Government has shown its support to the project by contributing AU$4million.
OFC is also currently working in New Zealand with Special Olympics (NZ) on a Just Play programme for people with mental disabilities.
For more on Papua New Guinea football go to www.pngfootball.com.pg