BANMI opens tryouts for Micro Games teams

Basketball Association of Northern Mariana Islands will start its series of tryouts for the 2014 Micronesian Games next week.

BANMI official Elias Rangamar said the first two days of the tryouts are set for Jan. 11 and 12 at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. The tryouts for the girls team will take place first from 10am to 12pm, while the boys will have their turn from 1pm to 4pm.

Interested players are advised to come out at the tryout in proper attire. BANMI also encouraged individuals playing both in the Marianas Interscholastic Sports Organization and Coalition of Private School Sports Association to join the tryouts.

This year’s Micronesian Games will be held in Pohnpei from July 19 to 29. Guam is the defending champion in both the girls and boys divisions. The CNMI placed second in the girls division of the quadrennial event, which was previously held in Palau in 2010. In the boys division, the Commonwealth cagers finished sixth.

Jose Tumaquip, Keoni Chariton, Quincy Johnson, Pete Iguel, Dan Barcinas, James Lee, Jeremy Winkfield, Tim Quan, Jack Lizama, Peter Mendiolo, Robert Naraja, Joe Villacrusis, and Jericho Cruz were the members of the CNMI National Team that played in Palau. The women’s squad was composed of captain Connie Camacho, Lia Rangamar, Lena Guzman, Jeralyn Castillo, Ira Palero, Lalaine Pagarao, Jenequa Benavente, Yvonne Bennett, Jamie Mendoza, Jacque Wonenberg, Lily Williams, and Dion Diaz.

Cage camp in Turkey
In related news, BANMI is seeking individuals who will represent the CNMI to a basketball camp in Istanbul Turkey in August this year.

BANMI is allotted three slots (one male and one female and one coach) on the camp. Interested male and female players must be 14 years old by Aug. 10, 2014 and no older than 14 on that date. The coach must be in the 35 and under age group (on that date).

Applicants should be U.S. citizens and CNMI residents and submit a one-sentence statement (for players) answering the question “why do you love basketball?” and a 50-word or less statement (for the coach) on the question “what do you hope to gain by participating in the camp?”

All applicants are also required to provide BANMI a brief summary of their playing/coach experience and submit a statement (100 word or less) on what it would mean for them to join the camp and how will they share what they would learn at the camp once they return to the CNMI. Applications and requirements are due to Jan. 31 at 5pm and can be submitted via email at mwhite@saipan.com.

The Turkish Basketball Organized-camp will be held in connection with the 2014 FIBA World Championship (for women), which will run from Sept. 27 to Oct. 5 in Istanbul and Ankara. TBF will select the participants and shoulder all cost of the trip.

For more information, contact BANMI secretary/treasurer Michael White at 234-6547. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)