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Pacific Games entry by numbers due in January
Northern Marianas Sports Association president Michael A. White reminded member federations sending athletes to the 2015 Pacific Games that the entry by numbers is due on Jan 16.
So far, only six sports associations confirmed their participation to the 15th edition of the quadrennial multi-sport event to be hosted by Papua New Guinea for the third time since 1991. The Games are set from July 4 to 18 in Port Moresby.
Athletics, beach volleyball, bodybuilding, golf, tennis, and va’a have expressed their interest to send athletes in the quadrennial games.
The initial tally will have the CNMI sending a 29-member delegation composed of two athletes and one coach in athletics, men’s and women’s teams in beach volleyball, two male and two female in bodybuilding, a four-man team in golf, four male, and two female plus coach in tennis, and a seven-member crew in va’a.
White said he has yet to hear from softball, table tennis, and weightlifting since all three sports associations are inactive from quite some time. Sailing, swimming, basketball, football (soccer and beach soccer), triathlon and indoor volleyball decided not to join this year’s Pacific Games.
Boxing, cricket, hockey, karate, lawn bowls, powerlifting, rugby 7s, rugby league, shooting, squash, taekwondo and touch rugby are the other sports that will be played in the Papua New Guinea games, but they are not played or there are no active federation here in the CNMI.
White said the airfare costs $1,200 per person with the CNMI delegation traveling to Manila via United for the connecting Air New Guinea flight to Port Moresby. The per diem is free.
In other news, the CNMI can send at least two athletes and one coach to the 2015 University Games, which will happen simultaneously with the Pacifc Games.
NMSA vice president and former Northern Marianas Athletics president Dr. Kurt Barnes will be the CNMI’s chef de mission to the Summer Universiade set from July 3 to 14 in Gwangju, South Korea.
White has yet to receive word from the International University Sports Federation on the details of the per diem and airfare. (Jon Perez)
