From the ground up in Papua New Guinea

By Elizabeth Winter 

Made up of more than 600 islands, Papua New Guinea is rich in diverse cultures, languages, and communities. 

For Netball PNG, that diversity presents both opportunities and challenges in growing the sport beyond the country’s major provinces and creating opportunities for more people to play. 

Netball has a long history in Papua New Guinea, with the country competing at the inaugural Pacific Games in 1963. 

Building on that history, for over a decade Netball PNG has partnered with Netball Australia to grow the sport and create opportunities for more people to get involved. 

This partnership has been supported by the Australian Government’s Team Up program to deliver community netball programs such as Pass It On, which aims to support communities to experience lifelong enjoyment, inclusion, and improved physical health through netball.

While the program is well-established in Port Moresby, the country’s capital, geographical and logistical challenges mean many children in remote regional areas have limited opportunities to play. 

Netball PNG want to change that. 

The organisation recently took Pass It On to rural communities including Alotau Town, East Cape, Gibara and Kilakilana Ward in Milne Bay Province, as well as Hiri Koiari, bringing netball to children who may have never played before. 

Despite the threat of Cyclone Malia and challenging weather conditions, a team of Netball PNG staff and volunteer coaches travelled to each location to deliver netball sessions, train local coaches, and leave behind the equipment and knowledge needed to continue running the program. 

Netball PNG Sport Development Coordinator Kori Navuru led the team. 

“When I went out to East Cape, I had tears speaking to people as I realised we’d brought something special,” she said. 

“Reaching out to broader communities through this program is something we’ve wanted to do for a long time. 

“PNG has a lot of different cultures and backgrounds, so the diversity and inclusion lesson is the best lesson in the program.” 

To ensure the program continued once the team left, each community received essential netball equipment, including balls, bibs, and whistles, while the team also worked with local teachers, church groups, village councillors and netball associations to identify people who could continue delivering sessions.  

For Navuru, seeing the enthusiasm from communities reinforced the potential for netball to grow beyond the major cities. 

“They had so much interest in playing netball, but they didn't have any equipment. When they realised that we were presenting the netballs, whistles and bibs, they were very grateful,” she said. 

The Pass It On program also uses netball as a vehicle to build skills beyond the court, with children taking part in activities focused on communication, leadership, inclusion and gender equality. 

Volunteer coach Dean Mase Tarabu noticed these changes on and off the court. 

“Seeing young people who had never played suddenly netball mentoring others showed me the incredible power of sport to foster leadership and to communicate,” he said.

“When we first started, they just wanted to play. By the end, they were organising their own drills and supporting each other”.

For coach Margaret Maki Opina, the experience reinforced the impact netball can have within communities. 

“The children’s resilience, joy, and hunger to grow reminded me why sport is so much bigger than competition,” she said. 

Seeing young boys enthusiastically taking part in netball, eager to learn and play with the girls, was also a highlight for Opina. 

“Watching the kids light up when they nailed a pass, then use that same teamwork to talk about respect, leadership, as well as discussing gender equality – that hit me,” she said. 

Netball PNG is now aiming to ensure those connections continue beyond the initial visits, through nurturing relationships with local associations, schools, and community leaders to establish sustainable pathways for participation. 

BUILDING PATHWAYS BEYOND THE COURT

Growing participation is only one part of Netball PNG’s vision. Building the career pathways for people to sustain that growth is just as important for the organisation. 

Winnie Mavara started her journey with Netball PNG as an athlete in the PNG Pepes squad, but she’s always wanted to give back to netball.

After several years as a volunteer coach with Team Up, she has recently taken on a full-time role as Sports Development Officer with Netball PNG, where she is helping develop the next generation of coaches to grow the sport further. 

For Mavara, her goal is to create an impact that extends way beyond her time in netball. 

“You think your influence is just in the present, but it often goes way back and surprises you,” she said. 

“I’m coming in as someone who has benefited from people throughout the years helping me out, coaching me, and I want to do that for others.”

High-Performance Coordinator Eileen Simet has followed a similar pathway from volunteer to national administrator within the sport. 

After years working in district netball as a president and umpire, she has progressed to a national role as High-Performance Coordinator for Netball PNG and serving as team manager of the PNG Pepes. 

Taking on the new role felt like a challenge, but one she was willing to embrace. 

“I was scared of failing, to be honest with you, because I didn't quite understand high performance initially, but I thought I'd give it a go. I like challenges,” Simet said. 

“It’s always been my dream to get into the netball office and do something for my people.”  

Mavara and Simet were among the Netball PNG representatives who attended Netball Australia’s Strategic Leadership Workshop this year, designed to grow, develop and empower women working in netball across the Pacific, supported by the Australian Government through the Pacific Women’s Sports Administration Program. 

Their journeys reflect the growing range of opportunities available to people wanting to contribute to netball beyond playing. 

That investment in people sits alongside a broader vision for Netball PNG, with the organisation recently finalising their Strategic Plan after engaging members of the netball community to establish a clear direction for the next five years. 

With support from Netball Australia and the Australian Government through Team Up and PacificAus Sports, Netball PNG is continuing to build the foundations for a stronger and more connected netball community across Papua New Guinea. 

Team Up is the Australian Government’s sport for development program in the Asia-Pacific. With more than 70 partners across seven Pacific Island countries, Team Up’s programs are specifically designed to provide all people, regardless of gender or ability, the opportunity to realise their full potential through sport. 

PacificAus Sports is an Australian Government sports diplomacy program that provides Pacific athletes, officials, and administrators access to high-performance training and elite competition. 

Interested in Netball Australia’s international development work? See more here.