NCD Governor Parkop Welcomes Vanuatu, Samoa and Australia Indigenous Teams to Port Moresby for Inaugural PacificAus Sports Cricket Invitational 2025

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea – Jacksons International Airport was abuzz with excitement yesterday, Friday 13 June, as the female national cricket teams from Vanuatu, Samoa, and the Australia Indigenous Team touched down at Jackson’s Airport, Port Moresby for the Inaugural PacificAus Sports Cricket Invitational Tournament.

The teams will join hosts Cricket PNG and The PNG Lewas in a week of competitive and unifying cricket action at Amini Park. The tournament is supported by the PacificAus Sports, Australian Government and Cricket Australia.

The Governor of the National Capital District, Hon. Powes Parkop, extended a warm welcome to the teams upon arrival.

HON. POWES PARKOP LLB, LLM, MP welcome statement:

"On behalf of our City I wish to welcome all the participating Teams to the inaugural PacificAus Sport Cricket Invitational.

We join the PNG Cricket Board to welcome the Australian Indigenous Team, Samoa and Vanuatu Team to this invitational tournament. This is an opportunity to promote cricket and use the sports to build great relationships between people of our region and equally a time to join PNG in celebrating our golden jubilee celebrations which falls in September 16th 2025.

We in Port Moresby are pleased to be given this opportunity to host this inaugural competition and we wish all the participating Teams all the best in the tournament I also wish them a great stay in Port Moresby and PNG.

On behalf of all our residents of our capital city too I also wish our National Team the PNG Lewas all the best in the tournament too and call on them to play hard and tough but be fair and be great host. Our Teams name defines what is in our heart! Make our lewas happy!

I look forward to opening the tournament tomorrow and spending some moment to watch the opening cricket matches.”

The PacificAus Sports Cricket Invitational will run from Sunday 15 to Saturday 21 June, 2025 at Amini Park in Port Moresby.

Entry is free! Bring your family, friends, and community to witness this historic sporting event and support the teams!

This inaugural tournament not only celebrates the spirit of sport but also strengthens the cultural and people-to-people ties among Pacific nations and Australia, as Papua New Guinea counts down to its 50th Independence Anniversary.

END…///

For media further details, please contact:

CPNG Media: (675) 76151402