The PNG Defense Football team hosted the Chinese Navy Cadet team in a friendly indoor football match on September 28 at the Taurama Aquatic Center, Port Moresby.
This military sporting event is an ongoing program between PNGDF its military partners from other countries. They hosted France early this month and had the opportunity to meet with the Chines Cadet Navy this week and cracked the friendly indoor soccer match with them.
The program aims to create relationship amongst soldiers and strengthen bilateral relations with other countries.
“It is a bilateral exercise between PNG Defense Force and Chinese Navy. I think mostly this program is about friendship and exchanging our culture,” said the Coach of the PNG Defense football team David Kaepapa.
David said soccer is not the only sport played between PNGDF and visiting military from other countries. They also engage in other sports. They decided to play soccer with the Chinese Navay. The PNGDF team comprises of soldiers and the soldiers’ children.
Chinese team captain, Lei Qing Quan, who came to PNG for the first time also expressed that this kind of programs can strengthen the relationship between the two countries and more so, create good relationship between PNG Defense Force and Chinese Navy.
Lei Quan said “We are having our friendly competition with PNGD. I think we can strengthen the communication, and know each other better and create friendship between the PNGDF and also the relationship between China and PNG.”
The football matches between the two sides ended in favor of PNGDF. The PNGDF held off the Chinese Navy 1-0 in the grand final to claim the trophy.
The Chines Cade Navy will be traveling to Fiji for their next stop before returning to China.
