Disability Sports Festival finally pushes through

The 2018 Disability Sports Festival finally pushed through last Friday and Saturday at the Marianas High School with disabled individuals from Saipan, Tinian, and Rota taking part in the first-ever sports event of its kind in the CNMI.

It was originally scheduled from July 6 to 7, but was postponed due to the tropical storm that same week.

Each activity was conducted by a company or a person during the two-day sports festival. Northern Marianas Protection and Advocacy Systems organized boccia. Boccia is a precision ball sport adapted from bocce, but for people that use wheelchairs. The Department of Community and Cultural Affairs Respite Service Program held adaptive softball, Public School System Athletics director Nick Gross ran sitting volleyball, and NAPU Outrigger collaborated with Lady Diane Torres Foundation in conducting an outrigger canoe exercise and races. Northern Marianas Athletics also ran a couple of throwing and jumping events last Saturday.

According to organizers, roughly 60 members got involved in the first day of the event before swelling to close to 100 participants on the second day of the sportsfest.

“I think the fact the event is happening [is great]. The government recognized it and was able to free up some grants from the Office of Grants Management. We just want to make sure the disabled community has equal access and we cater to individuals with disabilities that there are equal opportunities,” said Gross.

Gross hopes that this event would not be the last.

CNMI Scholarship Board member Geri Dela Cruz said she felt very proud to contribute to the first-ever disability sportsfest by helping out in the outrigger event.

“We talked about different past sports we can adapt for individual disabilities and outrigger is one sport. We knew we were going to team up with the Napu outrigger team,” she said.

Judiciary chief marshal Jason Tarkong, who coaches the Napu Outrigger Canoe Club, also volunteered at the sportsfest.

“Today is an opportunity to understand they are loved and despite being limited in their capabilities to participate in certain sports. It is an honor to coach with them and work with them,” he said.

Man’amkos from the Office of Aging also joined the event by sharing their common dilemma with persons with disability, which is being physically unqualified to participate in certain sports.

The “pugua” court also allocated seven vendors that were sponsors for the festival, namely Domestic Violence Prevention Center, Northern Marianas Protection & Advocacy System, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Voices of the CNMI, CNMI Literacy Program, Division of Youth Services, and Department of Community and Cultural Affairs Respite Service Program.