Remembering our Mentors - Iga Lahari

Time certainly flies doesn't it. 

Before we even got a chance to get used to the idea of losing a good friend we are reminded of the anniversary of her passing.

On 13th February 2009, a stalwart of PNG netball, companion, friend, steward, confidant, organiser and administrator, adviser and mum to all that needed encouragement, hung up her whistle and joined our other friends on the other side.

The late Iga Lahari during the 2007/2008 seasons

The late Iga Lahari was a stout campaigner for netball in PNG and her special touch will be missed by many who called her mum.  Her contribution to the Central Netball Association over the years is one of the reasons why that association is so strong and her interest in the development of the sport especially at the junior level and in umpiring, still resonates around the country even after her passing.

She left quite a breach for netball to fill and her handiwork, in the way many of the country's netball operations are run, even today, is testament to her diligence. The early starts to each Saturday to keep the POMNA competition moving, the long evenings organising Championships, the assessments and behind the scene headaches to keep the organisational cogs moving and building that work ethic into everyone around her is what makes her contribution so fulfilling.  The late Iga never represented the country as a player, but as an official, her mark will remain indelibly etched in the fabric of the sport in PNG.

Carolyn, Iga's eldest daughter still laments her loss as she goes about her many tasks for netball and as a mother, as we all do.  She is still missed and her memory will remain.

To Howard and children Lawrence, Carolyn, Arinamo and Jacklyn, grandchild Ralema and the family of the late Iga Lahari, the netball fraternity share in this belated special dedication to the life of the late Iga Lahari,  on the anniversary of her passing. 


Near the Hoop
PNG's only Netball Newspaper