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NMIVA happy Tinian will host consolation games
Tinian will host consolation matches for the fourth, fifth, and sixth place teams for next year’s Pacific Mini Games. (MARK RABAGO)
The Pacific Mini Games will be coming to Tinian next year with beach volleyball playing its consolation matches on the island where the Enola Gay and Bockscar took off en route to Japan, which some historians believe hastened the end of World War II.
Northern Mariana Islands Volleyball Association president Somia Quan said she’s honored to bring the sport to Saipan’s southern neighbor.
“The Pacific Mini Games is a special event for our CNMI community and we are happy that Tinian will be a secondary site for beach volleyball games,” she said.
Quan admitted that playing the consolation matches on Tinian would require a little more effort in terms of logistics and coordination, but said her organization is glad to do the extra mile.
“It will require more planning and resources to execute the matches there, but with the help and support of Tinian Mayor Edwin Aldan and his team, we are confident that this will be a fun and exciting event for the Tinian community,” she said.
The NMIVA head added she always looks forward to opportunities to grow the sport not only on Saipan but throughout the Commonwealth.
“As the national federation for volleyball in the CNMI we are always looking for opportunities to bring the sport to our sister islands, Tinian and Rota,” she said.
Pacific Mini Games Organizing Committee chief executive officer Vicente “Ben” Babauta earlier said aside from triathlon being held on Rota, Tinian will also be hosting the consolation matches for beach volleyball in next year’s Mini Games.
“The main games will be on Saipan and then the consolation games will be on Tinian. Will probably bring 4-5 teams there. The matches that will be played there are for fourth, fifth, and sixth places,” he said.
Beach volleyball is expected to draw 64 players in next year’s Mini Games with majority of the matches to be played at the expansive beach of Crowne Plaza Resort (formerly Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan).
The Pacific Mini Games 2022 Organizing Committee said nearly 1,900 athletes and officials from 21 island nations have so far confirmed their participation in the quadrennial sports event the CNMI is hosting next year from June 17 to 25, 2022.
