PGC upbeat about Mini Games facilities

Pacific Games Council chief executive officer Andrew Minogue, second left, gestures during a brief press conference for the 2021 Pacific Mini Games last Tuesday at the conference room of the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. Also in the photo are, from left, NMSA president Michael White, PGC president Vidhya Lakhan of Fiji, and Mini Games oversight committee chair Jerry Tan. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Pacific Games Council officials welcome the news about the scheduled repair works at the major sports facilities in the CNMI.

“One of the biggest challenges a country faces when it decides to host the Pacific or Mini Games is the lack of enough facilities. Some had to build new facilities in order to bring these games to their country. The CNMI is very fortunate that it already has the facilities in place and will only need repairs,” said PGC chief executive officer Andrew Minogue, who along with PGC president Vidhya Lakhan visited Saipan last week to get updates on the Commonwealth’s preparations for the hosting of the 2021 Pacific Mini Games.

“I learned that the major facilities on Saipan will soon undergo repairs and that’s good news for the CNMI and for us,” Lakhan said.

“The PGC is very confident the CNMI will deliver an outstanding event as nearly all of the sporting facilities are in place and ready,” Minogue said.

Resurfacing work at the Oleai Sports Complex track and field facility may start next month, while the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium will also undergo repairs. Other facilities—the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield and the Miguel “Tan Ge” Basa Pangelinan Ballfield—are also expected to have a facelift.

The Oleai Sports Complex will be the main headquarters of the 2012 Pacific Mini Games, which will feature 12 sports—athletics, badminton, golf, tennis, va’a (canoe), volleyball (indoor and beach), baseball, sailing, swimming, triathlon, weightlifting, and wrestling.

New Zealand, Australia invited
Meanwhile, Minogue said PGC has already invited New Zealand and Australia to send athletes to Saipan for the 2021 Pacific Mini Games.

“The presence of New Zealand and Australian athletes will make the level of competition even higher. Athletes from the Pacific will be challenged more knowing that they will be up against additional tough oppositions from New Zealand and Australia.

Minoque said they don’t know yet if the two powerhouse teams in Oceania will send teams to the quadrennial meet after Australia and New Zealand debuted in the 2015 Pacific Games in Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. The Kiwis had 49 athletes in last year’s competition, while the Aussies were represented by 43 individuals. They participated in selected sports with Australia bringing home 47 medals (17-19-11 gold-silver-bronze tally) and New Zealand getting 20 (1-9-10). Host PNG ruled the event with its 217-medal haul (88-69-60) and was joined in the Top 3 by New Caledonia (60-50-56) and Tahiti (39-34-41).