"Stop the politics. Stop the jealousy. Work together," that was the blunt message from veteran local football coach Shadrach Tai during the official launching of the new mini stadium at Mutzing Station.

Coach Tai, who leads the Yarus FC side from Umi Five, stated that sports in Markham did not die due to a lack of talent. Instead, he blamed a toxic culture of community members constantly fighting the government of the day rather than collaborating with it.

Tai emphasized that years of zero support have crippled Markham football and called for an immediate halt to destructive political divisions.

Tai pointed out that negative Facebook commentary and personal attacks on elected leaders do not create progress, and he calls for unity over jealousy ,urging the community to back the current administration to attract meaningful local development, as he warmly welcomed the opening of the Luther Wenge Oval Mini-Stadium, calling it a massive win for the district, provided players and organizers remain honest.

Markham MP and Chairman of the District Development Authority (DDA), Hon. Koni Iguan openly acknowledged the failures of past administrations. He revealed how sports programs were historically hijacked by corrupt officials for personal and political gain.

"When funding was allocated, officials would simply misuse the money," MP Iguan admitted.

Iguan noted a damaging cycle where raw talents were falsely promised pathways to national teams. When players returned home from national duties, they found no active local competitions to sustain their careers—a trend that ultimately killed athlete development.

To break this cycle, MP Iguan announced that the Markham DDA is completely changing its strategy. The district will no longer distribute cash handouts to individuals. Instead, funding is being redirected into permanent sports infrastructure.

The newly launched facility features:

• A standardized playing field
• Secure perimeter fencing and team benches
• Planned construction for a double-story grandstand equipped with toilets, showers, and a gym.

"These facilities are permanent. They are here to stay whether I remain the Member for Markham or if someone else takes over from me in the future," Iguan stated.

With the infrastructure underway, the DDA's next phase is to establish structured, official sports committees across all four Local Level Governments (LLGs):

• Leron Wantoat
• Onga-Waffa
• Umi
• Atzera

These committees will be tasked with running structured local competitions. The top talents will feed into an annual district tournament, creating direct, legitimate pathways into national football and rugby league competitions.