The recently refurbished Komo sports field in Hela was officially handed over to the Komo Local Level Government (LLG) representatives by local landowner company, Hides Gas Development Company (HGDC) and the operator of PNG LNG Project, ExxonMobil PNG (EMPNG) last week.

The handover coincided with the Independence Day celebration organized by the Komo Independence celebrations committee headed by Komo/Hulia LLG executives and community leaders.

Komo LLG president and Hela deputy governor, Charles Haluya when thanking ExxonMobil PNG and HGDC said the Komo rugby field would be used not only for sporting events but other events such as cultural shows.

“On behalf of the people of Komo and the wider Hela Province and the Government, I thank and commend the fantastic partnership between the ExxonMobil PNG Limited and local company, the Hides Gas Development Company in delivering the refurbished Komo rugby field to the Komo Local Level Government.

The generosity shown by the two companies to help the Government develop such facility is well appreciated by the government and the people of Hela.

“We are grateful that the Komo rugby field has been refurbished to national standards and we are proud that Komo Rugby Field will be the home ground for the Hela Wigmen.

“The rugby field will also be utilized for events such as the Hela Cultural Show which is an annual event taking place in October of each year,” Mr Haluya said.

HGDC Community Affairs Manager Allan Kayabe said HGDC is ready to partner with all tiers of Government to develop Komo and Hela province.

“HGDC’s corporate values are driven by the core principles of empowering people at the community level and we are proud that we are living up to our core values each day.”

We are thankful to be working alongside one of the world’s energy giants in ExxonMobil who encultures HGDC with its corporate values and principles in delivering goods and services to the people.

The partnership that we’ve had with ExxonMobil PNG in reconstructing the Komo rugby field signifies the good friendship and cooperation HGDC has with Exxon in delivering for the good of the communities in which we operate,” Kayabe said.

Cultural groups and brass bands performed throughout the day with a men’s and women’s match held to open the use of the sports field.

LEFT TO RIGHT: ExxonMobil PNG’s outgoing upstream asserts Manager Kim Hahn and HGDC’s Chris Tully and Allan Kayabe displaying the image of the reconstructed Komo Rugby Field  minutes before handing to Komo Local Level Government leaders symbolizing the delivery of the field to the Government- last week on independence’s day- 16^th September, 2020.