Just Play is already successfully running in Port Moresby, Lae and Kimbe, and that trio will now be joined by the northern coastal province of Madang after the staging of a workshop and launch ceremony.
The two-day workshop was conducted by Taku Niebo, the Just Play project manager for the Papua New Guinea Football Association, and was opened by the president of Madang Soccer Association, Siegifred Beschel.
In attendance were representatives from primary schools and communities from across the province, who were taught the basic footballing principles of Just Play, as well as learning of its important social development messages.
President Beschel is delighted to have welcomed Just Play into Madang and says the programme will fill a void as no development at this level has taken place in the region.
“We’ve asked the PNGFA to come and run the programme here in Madang and this will be the first stage of our junior development,” he says.
“It’s a strong programme which will unite all the communities together and we are privileged to have this programme rolled out to the province.”
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 and healthy living.
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 100,000 children – 43 per cent of whom are female – across the Pacific and trained over 2,000 teachers and volunteers.
Recent review findings have shown that students who participate in Just Play are more motivated to go to school, improve their academic performance and develop positive citizenship skills while many of the volunteers have demonstrated strong leadership within their communities.
For more on Papua New Guinea football go to www.pngfootball.com.pg

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