Big Welcome for Visiting FIFA U20 Teams by Papua New Guinea

 ITI walk for life team leader Joyce V Lelesi (in blue dress) and Tokarara Ward 8 president Michael Boeo (Number 82 Shirt) with fans welcoming the USA team. 

Words and Pictures by FIDELIS SUKINA 

    

In true show of support the Tokarara June Valley community and the students of the International Training Institute (ITI) gathered to welcome the United States team.

The group from Tokara and ITI were the final group to welcome the final arriving United States U20 Womens team.

USA PNG fams putting woven USA beinnies
on the U20 USA Womens team members

They are part of the National Capital District Walk for life initiative and were the chapter assigned to welcome the USA team.

Michael Boeo the Tokarara Ward 8 president and leader of the welcome team at the airport said they would be at all the games of the United States of America.

“We practiced the chants and war cry for a week and came as early as 11am, and we will be at all the USA games,” Boeo said

ITI walk for life team leader Joyce V Lelesi
and Tokarara Ward 8 president Michael Boeoat the Airport.

They are so passionate of their support to the US team that they will be paying for their own tickets for their group to attend all the games.

But they also wait for support from the United States Embassy in Port Moresby to assist them in this endeavor.

“We will be paying for our own tickets to watch the USA teams matches and we are looking forward as well for the Embassy to assist us,”

In a statement to FIFA.com Sports Minister, Justin Tkatchenko said that the welcome given to all the 15 visiting teams was to show what Papua New Guineans are like.

Fans from Tokara and June Valley in Port Moresby welcoming
team USA.

 “We want to give warm smiles and love and affection to the countries that are coming here, a real PNG welcome.

“At the end of the day we want to show what the Pacific is all about and what we are trying to achieve with our sporting events.

“We want to be ambassadors of our country, and have our visitors go away and say, ‘What a wonderful country it is and what a wonderful people they are”, Tkatchenko said