Photo Credit: Cricket PNG
The first ever Trukai VPL 2022 Player Auction is set to commence from 3pm Friday April 8 in the Sports Lounge at the Hilton Port Moresby. This is the first event of the Trukai VPL 2022, where the six franchise teams, Fairprice Furniture Mambas, Panamex PNG, Gamoga Lawyers Spirit of Rigo, Northern Alexanders, Koita Warriors, Zara Wanderer’s, will compete for the players they think will help them win the first prize of PGK 20,000.
Each team has a spending limit of PGK 2,000 to buy 13 players in the draft, which includes over 100 players for 78 places available. Each player must earn a minimum of PGK 50. A total of PGK 12,000 will be paid directly to players in addition to the tournament prize money. Each team will have representatives in the room, facing off in a live auction to buy the players they believe will help them win. The auction ends when the 78th player is selected.
Tony Naidu, Cricket PNG Manager on the Trukai VPL 2022 Player Auction “This is where the battle really starts. Each team starts off with an even chance of winning. They get to decide how they spend their PGK 2,000, and how smart team owners are with their money will go a long way to determining how far they will go in the tournament.”
The order of the player auction was determined by the interest levels shown by the six franchises. The first ten players being auctioned are: Norman Vanua, Tony Ura, Assadollah Vala, Damien Ravu, Jason Kila, Alei Nao, Christopher Kilapat, Hiri Hiri Patana, Jeremiah Nigani, and Lega Siaka.
Three current Kumul Petroleum PNG Lewas have been identified by franchises and will appear in the draft: Tanya Ruma, Vicky Ara’a, Ravini Oa. Naidu noted “It is a great development that we have three of our Lewas in the player auction, knowing these players well, I think any team that picks up one of them won’t regret it.”
Naidu thanked sponsors for making the Trukai VPL 2022 possible “With a great partner like Trukai onboard we have been able to offer the highest value domestic tournament in Cricket PNG’s history. Players will all be paid to play in the tournament, which will be a first for many players. Prizemoney is on top of the money they earn through the draft. This shows cricket players in PNG there is an avenue to enjoy the sport they love, and receive financial rewards.”
The Trukai VPL 2022 will run on Sunday May 8 and Sunday May 15. First prize will be PGK 20,000, second PGK 5,000 with third and fourth receiving PGK 1,000 each. The Hilton Port Moresby again this year is sponsoring the MVP of the tournament with a Mumu Executive Suite Stay Package, valued at approximately PGK 900.
