Cricket PNG announced Trukai Industries Ltd as the major sponsor of the Trukai Village Premier League 2022.
Initially this includes both the May edition and the second edition planned for November.
This sponsorship ensures that the Trukai VPL 2022 will build on the success of the first Village Premier League run in 2021, where the Wanderers Curries Team took away the PGK 10,000 first prize.
Thanks to Trukai, the first prize this year has doubled to PGK 20,000.
Trukai Industries Ltd CEO, Alan Preston, in confirming the new partnership, noted: “We believe that this sponsorship will allow us to diversify outside of our traditional sporting sponsorships.
“Although cricket is as not as popular as rugby in PNG, we understand it is growing amongst the younger demographic, with significant female participation through the multiple development programs Cricket PNG carries out.
“The Trukai VPL 2022 is the start of our partnership, and we are looking forward to discussing how we can further support the development programs,” reiterated Preston.
Cricket PNG general manager, Tony Naidu, added: “From the moment we finished the VPL 2021, we have been working to make the Trukai VPL 2022 a reality. We felt from the start that Trukai would be the best long-term partner for the VPL.
“The VPL is our premier domestic league which reaches into our villages.”
Trukai VPL 2022 will run on Sunday May 8 and Sunday May 15.
The first event of the Trukai VPL 2022 will be the player draft on April 8, starting at 3.30pm, hosted by Hilton Port Moresby.
Each team has a spending limit of PGK2,000 to buy 13 players in the draft, which includes over 150 nominated players for only 78 places available.
Representatives of the six franchise teams, Fairprice Furniture Mambas, Panamex PNG, Spirit of Rigo, Northern Alexandrias, Koita Warriors and Zara Wanderers will face off in a live auction to buy the best players to help them win the tournament.