Bad, good news for Oceania caging

The biggest story of the week came out Friday with Saipan hosting next month’s 2009 FIBA Oceania Tournament sans three off-island teams.

As early as Wednesday, various newspapers in Oceania and Pacific had reported Fiji, Palau, and Tahiti had already pulled out of the tournament due to financial difficulties. Last Thursday, FIBA Oceania secretary general Steve Smith confirmed reports about the withdrawals, but assured remaining teams and other concerned groups the quadrennial event will go ahead as scheduled. Saipan will host the Oceania caging from June 20 to 28.

“FIBA Oceania announces with great reluctance and sadness the withdrawal of teams from Tahiti, Fiji, and Palau from the forthcoming FIBA Oceania Tournament to be played on Saipan,” read the official statement FIBA Oceania sent to Saipan Tribune.

“The FIBA Oceania tournament on Saipan will go ahead with 10 teams and each division (men’s and women’s) playing a full round of games and then a further top of the table elimination series leading to the medal rounds,” Smith said.

Joining CNMI in the tournament are Guam, New Caledonia, Australia, and New Zealand.

Basketball Association of Northern Mariana Islands is confident of having a successful tournament despite the withdrawals.

“We are still looking forward to a great tournament. We will have the chance to play our traditional rival Guam, as well as perennial powerhouse New Caledonia. With the new tournament format, we will get the opportunity to measure ourselves against both Australia and New Zealand. CNMI basketball fans will still get the chance to watch the Pacific’s best in action,” BANMI secretary general Michael White said in an email to Saipan Tribune.

With or without Palau, Fiji, and Tahiti, the CNMI Men’s and Women’s Nationals are busy with their preparations for the Oceania tournament.

Women’s Nationals coach William “Bill” Sewell Jr. is having his wards have scrimmages against male players to get the CNMI cagebelles ready for the tough competition ahead.

The Men’s Nationals of coach Rufino Aguon are doing the same rigorous training, while awaiting for the return of former Mr. Carmel School mainstay Dan Barcinas, who will boost the team’s offensive threat. Barcinas will plane in from Oregon early next month.

Meanwhile, Barcinas’ MCS schoolmate, Chang Kyun Kim, is still on Saipan and led winners in the 7th Annual Mount Carmel School Golf Tournament held at the Laolao Bay Golf Resort

The 19-year-old MCS alumnus shot a 2-under par 70 to beat veteran Jess Wabol and fellow Korean golfer Jung Won Lee and rule the championship flight of the fundraiser.

Over at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield, protests over uniform violations in the 2009 Saipan Little League Baseball has turned into an epidemic, as the playoff game between Ol’Aces against Kagman Lion Hearts was marred by another incident.

This time, Kagman was on the losing end, as Ol’Aces was awarded the win by forfeiture and advanced to the finals against the Patriots. The Patriots topped the Red Sox in the other semis game, 6-2, and eventually won the title via an 8-4 win over the Ol’Aces Saturday.

The Lion Hearts-Ol’Aces match was halted after the top of the first inning, as the latter protested the wrong uniform of Kagman pitcher Aldofo Guillermo Roppul. Roppul had the word “King” printed on his shirt, instead of “Hearts.”

In the Senior League playoff game, three weeks ago, Kagman Lion King protested the missing stripes on the pants of Jets pitcher Toby Fleming, saying it is a violation on ground rules on uniforms. The Jets were ahead, 11-0, in the third inning when Lion King filed a protest and won the game via forfeiture.

No protest was needed for Raphael Zapanta to win the May edition of the Fiji Water Prince of the Lanes, as he was way ahead of runner-up Marion McKenzie. Zapanta had a four-game total of 756 pinfalls against McKenzie’s 595 to notch his fifth straight monthly title.

Veterans Simon Manacop and Gloria Omechalang had their firsts with the former knocking 916 pinfalls to win the Budweiser King of the Lanes’ title. Omechalang tallied 702 pinfalls to claim the Queen of the Lanes tiara.