The national champions of Papua New Guinea, Lae City FC, decided to pull out of the next edition National Premier League. The decision has been made due to the withdrawal of our sponsor, Lae Biscuit Company Ltd, who has been a pillar of support for the team since 2017.
Lae Biscuit Company Ltd entered the football arena with immense enthusiasm and has consistently shown their dedication to the sport. Their involvement in the code has been commendable, and they have contributed significantly to the development of the game in Papua New Guinea. Not only did they support Lae City FC, but they also sponsored the national team with a generous amount of K200,000.00 during the Pacific Games in Samoa back in 2019.
Throughout the partnership, Lae City, under the sponsorship of Lae Biscuit Company Ltd, has diligently fulfilled its financial obligations to the PNG Football Association (PNGFA). The company has consistently paid the club’s affiliation and registration fees, as well as other charges imposed by the PNGFA. The unwavering support of Lae Biscuit Company Ltd has been instrumental in our success on and off the field.
This announcement comes in the wake of the Papua New Guinea national team’s 10-0 defeat against Malaysia in an international friendly, which brought immense embarrassment to the country. The performance received heavy criticism from fans and local clubs, and it appears that Lae City’s owner, Ian Chow, is dissatisfied with the current management of the PNG Football Association.
In light of several postponements of the competition’s start date and other organizational challenges, Mr. Chow has decided to voice his discontent by withdrawing Lae City FC from the National Premier League.
Lae City FC has a rich history, having secured the Papua New Guinea National Soccer League title seven times and participating in numerous editions of the OFC Champions League.
The announcement is one more setback to PNG Football; the governing body will not count on its current champions for the next edition of the national league, something that may cause issues on rebuilding the league as the PNG Football Association intends to do so.
Discover more from Oceania Football Center
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Oceania Football Center 
A better strategy would have been for Lae Biscuit to announce intent to pull sponsorship UNLESS new management was found. This decision only harms the players and the Sport.
LikeLike