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ELA MOTORS DRIVING THE NRL BID
PNG’s biggest motor distributor, Ela Motors has announced its support for the PNG NRL Bid and has signed on as a sponsor for this exciting program.
This sponsorship initiative comes hard on the heels of the recent decision to allow rugby league back into schools. Following the announcement of the PNG All Schools Rugby League Program, the bid will now move up a gear and begin the implementation phase of its many community and rugby league development programs.
The Ela Motors support will be seen nationwide through the generous supply of 4 x Landcruiser 10 seater wagons. These wagons will be used to assist the rugby league development officers, as they travel around the provinces running programs in schools.
“Ela Motors has been a long term supporter of rugby league in this country and we see support for this program as a natural extension of our involvement,” said David Purcell CEO & Director of Ela Motors. “There is no doubt that a successful bid and the inclusion of a PNG based NRL team will do wonders for our national sport, but more importantly, will act as a rallying point for the people of PNG”.
Minister Embel warmly welcomed Ela Motors to the Bid journey, “We are greatly humbled by Ela Motors generosity and their foresight. Ela Motors is a successful company that has given back to the PNG community greatly over the years. They understand what is good business and clearly can see that being a part of the Bid is much more than gaining an NRL licence. Ela Motors wants to be part of the journey. A journey that will see the sport develop greatly throughout our nation and help shape our talent for tomorrow”.
David Purcell and the Bid Board are ready to see the Bid move into overdrive, “We have watched with great interest as the Bid prepares itself for a tough journey. What we have seen has reinforced our commitment to helping secure an NRL licence for PNG. However, what we are greatly interested in, is what the Bid will deliver on the ground for our people and we want to be a part of that. We want to help create a sporting culture of strong and resilient athletes who have the skills and resources to become elite rugby league players. We recognize the great raw talent our country has and we want to work with the bid to grow and shape that talent”.
“Development programs through schools will help greatly by stimulating interest in the game and increasing the skill levels of those participating” said Mr Purcell. “Our interest however is also in the fact that programs such as this help promote a healthy lifestyle and will assist children in developing habits that will benefit them as they grow older. A great league team will be one result, but a healthy population is the greater goal.”
It is certain that these programs and the Ela Motors sponsorship philosophy will put a spotlight on the Bid at NRL headquarters in Australia. At a recent meeting with the Bid Board, David Gallop said , “One of our greatest strengths is that local kids can grow up to become local heroes. Wouldn’t it be great if one day local kids can grow up to be local heroes in PNG and play in the NRL.”