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Oleai field improvements begin
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Posted on Oct 10 2017
The dirt at the Oleai Sports Complex field has already been tilled, while the hammer throw area will be replaced in time for two major sporting events that Saipan will be hosting. (Jon Perez)
Improvements at the center field of the Oleai track have begun last week as personnel and equipment from a government agency and a private company started plowing the land.
The Department of Lands and Natural Resources’ Division of Agriculture loaned a tiller to Laolao Bay Golf & Resort’s groundskeeper crew who are working on the field to lay new grass. Laolao’s crew will also level the field to make it more playable and minimize injuries to athletes/teams that will be using the facility for practices or regular games.
Work on the field is expected to last for more than a month and will be completed on or before December this year. The Northern Marianas Sports Association is also waiting for the track’s Level II certification from the International Association of Athletics Federations.
The field improvements are among the projects planned by Northern Marianas Sports Association to prepare the Oleai Sports Complex for next year’s Micronesian Athletics Championships and the 2021 Pacific Mini Games that Saipan will be hosting. Other projects include fixing the cage for the hammer throw event, putting up a higher chain-link fence, installing a net at the fence near Beach Road, adding or installing new lights, and extending the grandstands at the track oval.
The hammer throw area was among the facilities that were damaged by Typhoon Soudelor, which barreled through Saipan in August 2015 and it needs replacement. The net at the fence near the road, on the other hand, would prevent the discus and other objects in the throwing events from hitting passing cars. NMSA then plans to increase the height of the chain-link fence to at least nine feet to control the usage of the track and prevent vandals from damaging the facility.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency provided the money that would fund the improvements and other repairs at the Oleai Sports Complex. The Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium, Miguel B. Pangelinan Softball Field, and Francisco M. Palacios Baseball Field will also undergo renovations.
