Papua New Guinea recipients announced for the Australian Government’s Play for Equity Fund

Five grantees from Papua New Guinea (PNG) have been selected to receive funding through the Australian Government’s Play for Equity Fund to advance gender and disability justice through sport.  

This initiative supports innovative community-led programs that create safer and more inclusive sporting spaces across the Pacific. 

This marks the fourth round of the Play for Equity Fund, which is delivered through the Australian Government’s flagship sport for development program, Team Up, in partnership with the International Olympic Committee’s Olympism 365 initiative.  

Grant recipients were chosen by an independent selection committee comprising Pacific-based experts in women’s rights, feminist activism, disability inclusion and sport.  

The PNG Play for Equity fund grant recipients are:  

• Special Olympics PNG
• Salome Yaling
• Matilda Tigilai
• Robert Oa
• Cathy Neap 

Australian High Commission acting Minister Counsellor, Sally Kirby, highlighted the social benefits of investing in sport. 

“As Australia’s Play for Equity Fund demonstrates, community-led sport initiatives can help drive lasting gender and disability justice in PNG and across the Pacific. The Australian Government is proud to support such a worthy group of Papua New Guinean recipients.” 

Since 2022, the Australian Government’s Team Up program has supported individuals and organisations in PNG and across the Pacific to deliver small, community-led projects that promote gender and disability justice through sport. To date, Play for Equity has supported 63 recipients across 13 Pacific Island countries of which 17 grantees were from PNG, helping create safer, more inclusive spaces for people to participate, connect and thrive through sport and play. 

Play for Equity is further strengthening the Papua New Guinea - Australia Partnership and supports the objectives of the Oceania Impact Network. 

ENDS