Forty children got involved in the event which kicked off with a rubbish collection to promote social responsibility before moving into a warm up session using balls.
Then, divided into four groups of ten, they started practicing their basic passing and shooting skills before moving on to demonstrate those new skills playing small sided games.
Just Play facilitator, and a teacher at June Valley Primary School, Kila Babaga said the programme is a positive way of introducing not just football, but a variety of life skills, to the children who take part.
“This programme not only motivates the kids to participate in sports, but also to do well academically in class,” Babaga said.
“I want to see Just Play involve more children and schools to address social issues using football to build safe communities.”
Developed by the OFC social responsibility and technical departments, Just Play is designed for children aged six to 12 and promotes physical activity while encouraging community involvement, healthy living, gender equality and disability development.
OFC has worked closely with UEFA, the Australian Government – through its agencies the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) – and Football Federation Australia to implement the programme across the Pacific over a three-year period between 2009 and 2012. It was launched in Tonga and is now also running in American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti and Vanuatu.
The confederation has also been working in New Zealand with Special Olympics on a Just Play programme for people with mental disabilities and has launched the same initiative in Samoa and Fiji.
Just Play has reached over 106,000 children – 43 per cent of whom are female – across the Pacific and trained over 2,200 teachers and volunteers.
For more on Papua New Guinea football go to www.pngfootball.com.pg

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