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CNMI to send 140 to Micro Games
The 2018 Micronesian Games flame built atop a giant clam shell will be lit in July when Yap hosts the regional competition at the Yap Sports Complex. (Contributed Photo)
With the latest addition of the CNMI’s spearfishing team, the Commonwealth’s delegation to the 2018 Micronesian Games in Yap increased to 140.
“We will be sending 140 athletes, coaches, and officials to Yap now that the NMSA (Northern Marianas Sports Association) board agreed to accept the spearfishing group to Team CNMI,” NMSA president Michael White said during their monthly meeting last Thursday at the conference room of the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.
Spearfishing will have four athletes and a coach, while baseball has the most number of delegates with 24. Basketball (men’s and women’s) has 22, the same number of athletes that indoor volleyball will be sending to Yap, which will host the quadrennial meet from July 15 to 28. Northern Mariana Islands Volleyball Association will also send beach volleyball teams (men’s and women’s and two coaches), while canoe listed 20 delegates (men and women).
The CNMI will have 16 representatives in the medal-rich athletics competition, while the revived table tennis group will bring nine delegates to Yap. Swimming will have six athletes for the ocean swim and one coach, while nine will compete in the weightlifting event.
Each delegate will receive $500 financial assistance from NMSA in a form of reimbursement once they returned from Yap. The $500 is approximately half of the costs of the airfare and per diem of each delegate.
NMSA is also open to talks on providing financial help to local sports federations which are bringing athletes from the mainland to represent the CNMI in Yap. The amount, however, will depend on the decision of the NMSA board.
Meanwhile, White said Micro Games officials will meet this week to discuss eligibility rules. Initially, any athlete with Micronesian ancestry can represent the CNMI provided she or he meets the three-year residency rule. For athletes without Micronesian ancestry, a seven-year residency rule will be in effect.
