Ottio funeral tells of loyalty to PNG

Port Moresby: It was standing room only at the Sir John Guise Indoor Stadium in Port Moresby last Friday as thousands of family members, teammates, PNG government ministers, members of the country’s rugby league community and fans gathered to farewell Kato Ottio.

Up to 70,000 more viewers from dozens of countries watched a live stream of the service, which began with the heartbreaking sight of the casket being carried into the venue by Ottio’s Kumuls and Hunters teammates.

Kato’s brother, Ahulo Ottio Jnr, was moved to tears as he revealed that the 23-yearold had turned down a contract from St George Illawarra Dragons on the eve of the World Cup because it came with the condition he withdraw from the Kumuls squad to undergo surgery before the 2018 NRL season.

Despite protestations from his family to take the contract and fulfil his NRL dream, Ottio said he could not miss the opportunity to play in front of his people for the Kumuls, as he may never again get a chance to play in a World Cup on home soil “I’m not sure a lot of people know this but he had the option to join St George, but the contract came with a condition for him to forgo the World Cup and clean out his ACL surgery,” Ahulo Ottio said.

“He told me about it and I lost count of the times I begged him to take up the offer and forget the World Cup. I even lobbied mum to talk him out of it but it was all in vain. -NRL.com