MVA: No decision yet on XTERRA renewal

Marianas Visitors Authority has not made a decision yet on whether they will bring back the XTERRA Saipan Championship next year, according to its managing director Perry Tenorio.

In fact, Tenorio said MVA needs to meet with local organizer Taga, Inc. so the two could thresh out the details of the 2010 edition of XTERRA Saipan, long touted as the crown jewel of the XTERRA Global Tour.

“The MVA has not yet had an opportunity to sit down with the organizing committee to discuss next year’s event. We hope to do that soon so that I can bring the matter up before the board of directors,” said Tenorio in an e-mail to the Saipan Tribune.

While the decision on XTERRA Saipan is still up in the air, Tenorio took time to thank Taga, Inc., specifically its president Wolf Mojica and co-founder Bill Sakovich, for the great work they’ve done in the 2009 Saipan Sports Fest, which also included the 20th Tagaman Triathlon.

“The Marianas Visitors Authority extends it congratulations to Taga Inc. for successfully coordinating the XTERRA Saipan Championship and Tagaman Triathlon. We also value these events in promoting sports tourism in our CNMI and the exposure it brings to the Commonwealth,” he said.

Taga, Inc. has tentatively scheduled the XTERRA Saipan for March 13, 2010, with the Tagaman following on March 20, 2010.

Organizers are also planning on hosting XTERRA University for both Japanese speaking and English speaking participants, a first in the nine-year history of the event.

While Taga, Inc. saluted Saipan Sports Fest sponsors like MVA, Pacific Island Club, IT&E, Coca Cola, Subway, Glimpses of Saipan, Foremost, Docomo Pacific, DFS Galleria, Mojica and Sakovich also gave kudos to all the volunteers that made the event a success.

“It’s a heck of a lot of work and we wouldn’t have done it without the support of all the volunteers, the government agencies, and everyone. Some of the things ended up as a last-minute thing. I just wish we could do this well in advance so that we’re not waiting until the last couple of days to throw everything together. But it always turns out well,” said Sakovich.

Mojica is also grateful for all the help Taga, Inc. received during the 2009 Saipan Sports Fest.

“There are many people who were involved in the planning of these events and they are too numerous to thank individually, but I tried to talk to each of them or send an email to their group to thank them for their help. We have a wonderful community here and I am blessed to be a part of it,” he said.

Mojica said for next year he would also like to see more spectators at the finish line of both the XTERRA Saipan and Tagaman.

“This may mean inviting schools to come down as a field trip or other groups to come down and cheer on all the athletes both off island and local. These are world class events and need the support of the local community,” he said.