A feel good story was retold by my small Dad John Mawe (JM) yesterday and I wanted to share. It was the longest 5 seconds of Papua New Guinea!
Flashback 1983 and the PNG Kumuls were up against the French Roosters in an historic International Test Match at Port Moresby Lloyd Robson Oval (PRL) following the 1979 first successful Kumul Europe Tour.
JM was a young student at AdCol and mind you, gate fee was a problem for the sumatins at that time so any available high elevation where you could struggle (of course at your own risks) to catch a glimpse of the rugby league action was worth it all. (You will be fighting against nature and the police! 😂). A light pole was his front row seat & his muscles & body could curse him later for the torture but his big brother, David Tinemau was the captain leading the Kumul assault against the might of the French Rooster.
PRL was packed to the brim and Sir Iambakey Okuk smashed any willing stomach with their favorite San Miguel or SP inside PRL Clubhouse. The scene was settling for a great showdown.
Old Tinemau (Papa Wagi) had flown in from Kundiawa to watch his fav. son play. So you'd know who the biggest volume was in the crowded stands when his son got hit in a tackle or made a tackle (it was something like, Easy ya ba yu indai ya! ...or...killim em! but all in his native Tabare-Sine dialect. 😂). From his strategic location, JM spotted the old man out of the crowd with his trademark cowboy hat.
The Kumuls gave as they got and the game went down to the wire. Bodies were sent out on stretchers; bloodied and bruised warriors traded tit-for-tat and the last men standing held the hopes of a recently independent Third World Nation of 800 languages against a European Superpower as the game closed to the dying stages. 10 seconds before full-time and a penalty was awarded the Kumuls right on halfway; scores were 13-11 in favor of the Frenchmen. The two choice kickers for Kumuls were Paulus Akis, Dad's trusted ace winger from Enga and club playmate from Hagen Brothers or Paul Kombinari, the stellar warrior from Bundi who grew up with Dad playing rugby from primary school to the Kumuls jumper in Goroka. During the anticipation on who should kick was being discussed, the full-time hooter sounded in the background, silence gripped PRL as if nature had pressed a mute button on PRL. JM recalled for the first time hearing the sound of his own sweat dropping. Dad overlooked his clubmate & gave his brother from Bundi the ball. He only said, "Bro, you're kicking for the PNG flag!" and turned his back.
Those 5 Seconds were the longest 5 seconds in PNG! Conversion kickers those days were not fancy sideways hookers or put much antics for a show kind of types, they simply lined up the ball, reversed back, then booted the ball with all their might! Paul Kombinari was old school. The crowd and a nation held their breath when Paul charged towards the ball to let loose the weight pressed on him by the entire nation. The ball twirled up like a torpedo and sailed, and sailed; sailed in slow motion across the 40m, 20m, 10m...hit the right side of the post, sailed back down, landed on the crossbar and went over to give the first international draw with French Roosters in a 13-13 all scores locked!
JM recalled: who said there was a fence in front; people ran through and over it like it was plastic. Sir Okuk shut PRL down and the nation went ballistic! A pretty young Tolai lass singled out Papa Wagi & escorted him to his son with JM, when at last, JM had his proud moment to toast a beer with his big brother in the Kumuls hotel camp.
These stories are not in mainstream media or Google; they only live in people's hearts and minds. From JM's own mouth, it brought tears to my eyes but smiles on my face. The longest 5 seconds in PNG!
Flashback 1983 and the PNG Kumuls were up against the French Roosters in an historic International Test Match at Port Moresby Lloyd Robson Oval (PRL) following the 1979 first successful Kumul Europe Tour.
JM was a young student at AdCol and mind you, gate fee was a problem for the sumatins at that time so any available high elevation where you could struggle (of course at your own risks) to catch a glimpse of the rugby league action was worth it all. (You will be fighting against nature and the police! 😂). A light pole was his front row seat & his muscles & body could curse him later for the torture but his big brother, David Tinemau was the captain leading the Kumul assault against the might of the French Rooster.
PRL was packed to the brim and Sir Iambakey Okuk smashed any willing stomach with their favorite San Miguel or SP inside PRL Clubhouse. The scene was settling for a great showdown.
Old Tinemau (Papa Wagi) had flown in from Kundiawa to watch his fav. son play. So you'd know who the biggest volume was in the crowded stands when his son got hit in a tackle or made a tackle (it was something like, Easy ya ba yu indai ya! ...or...killim em! but all in his native Tabare-Sine dialect. 😂). From his strategic location, JM spotted the old man out of the crowd with his trademark cowboy hat.
The Kumuls gave as they got and the game went down to the wire. Bodies were sent out on stretchers; bloodied and bruised warriors traded tit-for-tat and the last men standing held the hopes of a recently independent Third World Nation of 800 languages against a European Superpower as the game closed to the dying stages. 10 seconds before full-time and a penalty was awarded the Kumuls right on halfway; scores were 13-11 in favor of the Frenchmen. The two choice kickers for Kumuls were Paulus Akis, Dad's trusted ace winger from Enga and club playmate from Hagen Brothers or Paul Kombinari, the stellar warrior from Bundi who grew up with Dad playing rugby from primary school to the Kumuls jumper in Goroka. During the anticipation on who should kick was being discussed, the full-time hooter sounded in the background, silence gripped PRL as if nature had pressed a mute button on PRL. JM recalled for the first time hearing the sound of his own sweat dropping. Dad overlooked his clubmate & gave his brother from Bundi the ball. He only said, "Bro, you're kicking for the PNG flag!" and turned his back.
Those 5 Seconds were the longest 5 seconds in PNG! Conversion kickers those days were not fancy sideways hookers or put much antics for a show kind of types, they simply lined up the ball, reversed back, then booted the ball with all their might! Paul Kombinari was old school. The crowd and a nation held their breath when Paul charged towards the ball to let loose the weight pressed on him by the entire nation. The ball twirled up like a torpedo and sailed, and sailed; sailed in slow motion across the 40m, 20m, 10m...hit the right side of the post, sailed back down, landed on the crossbar and went over to give the first international draw with French Roosters in a 13-13 all scores locked!
JM recalled: who said there was a fence in front; people ran through and over it like it was plastic. Sir Okuk shut PRL down and the nation went ballistic! A pretty young Tolai lass singled out Papa Wagi & escorted him to his son with JM, when at last, JM had his proud moment to toast a beer with his big brother in the Kumuls hotel camp.
These stories are not in mainstream media or Google; they only live in people's hearts and minds. From JM's own mouth, it brought tears to my eyes but smiles on my face. The longest 5 seconds in PNG!