Sugu Valley Basketball Association finishes Runner-up in the SP Sports Awards

The Sugu Valley Basketball Association (SVBA) came second in the 34th SP Sports Awards Community Sports Initiative of the Year category held on Saturday night, 30 May 2026, at the Crown Hotel in Port Moresby.  

Sugu Valley, located in the Kagua-Erave District of Southern Highlands Province, has been ravaged by bloody warfare for almost two decades between various clans, which claimed hundreds of lives and destroyed properties worth millions.  

Seeing the need to restore peace in Sugu Valley, Samuel Tasa, a young man from Katiloma in the Sugu Valley Local Level Government, took the initiative by mobilizing the youths and hosting a peaceful tournament in 2024. 

Following the conclusion of the Sugu Valley Peace Basketball tournament, President Tasa and his executive team formally affiliated the association with the Basketball Federation of Papua New Guinea (BFPNG) in 2025.

In three years, the association has grown in leaps and bounds, successfully administering competitions and tournaments. The competition helped reduce criminal activities, including stealing and alcohol consumption.

With sheer determination and willingness to change people’s mindset and bring about lasting peace, the thriving association has received support in getting nominated for the prestigious 34th SP Sports Awards in 2026.

Despite finishing second place in the Community Sports Initiative group, president Tasa said it was already an achievement in itself for the Sugu Valley Basketball Association to be a finalist among other deserving associations and federations.  

“We are proud to share a major milestone for which the Sugu Valley Basketball Association (SVBA) has been awarded 1st Runner-up in the Community Sports Initiative of the Year at the 2026 SP Sports Awards, PNG’s premier national sports recognition event,” he stated. 

“This achievement validates the impact we are making at the grassroots level. Your support has helped us improve from local community courts to national recognition in a short time as a new association. This award reflects our shared commitment to youth development, peace-building, and transparent community sports governance.  

“We thank you for believing in our vision. With your continued partnership, SVBA will build on this momentum to create an even greater impact across Sugu Valley, Kagua-Erave, and the wider Southern Highlands Province.”