NMA to benefit from IAAF funding increase

Northern Marianas Athletics development officer Elias Rangamar, standing, conducts a training session with some athletes under the national training pool in this file photo. (Jon Perez)

Northern Marianas Athletics is set to receive an increase in the annual grant they have been receiving from the International Association of Athletics Federations. The money is assistance provided by IAAF to help member countries with their development.

NMA development officer Elias Rangamar said this was one of IAAF president Sebastian Coe’s promises when he was still running for the federation’s top post in the 2015 election.

IAAF’s 215 member federations, including NMA, receive an annual funding of $15,000. That would increase to $25,000 for the next four years or $100,000. The money comes from the $22 million dividend IAAF received from the International Olympic Committee.

Athletics enjoys a premier position in the Olympic movement, assuring IAAF one of the largest shares from IOC’s revenues that they distribute to 28 international federations under the quadrennial Summer Games.

Rangamar said the increase would help NMA with its grassroots development program in the hopes of finding the next local athletic superstar that would follow the likes of NMI Sports Hall of Famer Tony Ichiou, sprinters Yvonne Bennett, Tyrone Omar, and Beo Ngirchongor, long distance specialists Jack Kabiriel and Mamiko Berger, and multi-event experts Jacque Wonenberg and Nick Gross.

He added that NMA has not used up the $15,000 they had received in 2015 since they organized fewer events following the onslaught of Typhoon Soudelor on Saipan in August of that year.

Rangamar said IAAF would require federations to submit proposals where the funding grant would be used. “That’s one of the requirements, local federations need to justify what programs would be funded.”

“The grant would be of great use for us here in the CNMI since it would build up our national training pool program, especially we wanted to introduce the sport of athletics to kids in various elementary schools,” said Rangamar.

“We could also provide equipment to some of the schools, like those in Rota and Tinian. We also plan to use the money to send interested coaches to seminars and other trainings to improve and raise their level and skills.”

He added athletes—whether under the national team or training pool—could also expect more off-island trips to gain international experience to improve their performances in local and regional competitions.

Athletics is one of the medal-rich events in the Olympics where competitions are spread out to more than 20 disciplines in running, jumping, throwing, and combined sports.