MELBOURNE Storm centre Justin Olam has praised his Papua New Guinea University of Technology course mates for helping him achieved his goal in education while playing rugby league.
The former Lae Tiger, who played nine tests for the Kumuls, told PNG Rugby Football League chairman Sandis Tsaka on Fulltime Reserve on Friday that it was tough juggling his education and Digicel Cup commitments.
“My course mates were a big part of my success in university, said the 26-year-old, who graduated with a degree in applied physics in 2016.
“They were very supportive.
“I would attend training and miss classes but they would copy notes for me.
“My roommate Bobby Annis, he would help me. When I return from training, I would copy all the notes from him.
“He would explain the homework and we’d complete it together.
“I remember one time when we (Tigers) went to Kokopo to play the Rabaul Gurias.
“I was going to sit for a math exam on Monday and we played on Sunday.
“We (Tigers) were supposed to return to Lae at 12pm on Monday and the exam was to start at 1pm.”
Olam said some of his teammates were intoxicated “and we were kicked out of the plane”.
“I appealed to the authorities at the airport, I told them about my situation and that I needed to be on that flight,” the former SP Hunters winger said.
“They said ‘as long you are a Tigers player, you will not be allowed’.
“I called my course mates and told them that I couldn’t make it.
“I didn’t expect anything from them but to my surprise, the whole class decided to skip the exam.
“They told the lecturers that we weren’t ready to sit the exam and they wanted it to be rescheduled to the next day.
“The next day, I arrived on time and did the exam.
“I would not have done it without them.”