Team NMI to send large delegation to 2023 Honiara Pacific Games

The Northern Marianas Sports Association has vowed to send a large delegation to the 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara, Solomon Islands next year.

Speaking during last Thursday’s Team NMI Celebration Dinner at Kensington Resort, NMSA president Jerry Tan said with the help of the administration of Gov. Ralph DLG Torres they are looking at chartering a flight to send 150-200 athletes to the 2023 Pacific Games.

In his budget request to the House of Representatives last week, Torres allocated $400,000 to NMSA to support athletes who will participate in the 2023 Pacific Games and the Micronesian Games.

During the Pacific Games Council meeting last June 19, Tan said the CNMI committed to send a larger delegation to Honiara after organizers initially put down 30 as the expected athletes from the CNMI going to the quadrennial event.

“Your performance [in the Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games 2022] validates that we can compete,” he said.

Tan also eyes sending a large delegation to the 2023 Micronesian Games in Majuro, Marshall Islands next year. However, he acknowledged that the 2023 Micronesian Games host’s borders are still closed. 

“So we have two important Games next year and we plan to send large delegations to both Games.”

‘Best Games ever’
Not only did he congratulate Team NMI’s third place finish in the medal tally of the Mini Games (38 medals, 16 gold, 13 silver, 9 bronze), Tan also acknowledged the Mini Games Organizing committee led by chair Marco Peter and CEO Vicente “Ben” Babauta for delivering a near-perfect Games.

“I don’t think we delivered a perfect Games…[but] I think we came as close as possible in hosting the [perfect]  Mini Games…Some of us had the chance to actually talk to people during the Games and all I can share with you is by the end of the Games I kept hearing best ‘Games ever,  best Games ever,’” added Tan.

The NMSA president said the icing on the cake in Team NMI’s performance in the Games is that they medalled in all nine sports offered in the quadrennial event with the badminton team grabbing its medal in the final day of competition. 

“Their final was actually on the closing ceremony morning and they had a chance to bronze against powerhouse Tahiti. So when they won and got the medal in badminton, that made us the perfect host because we medalled in all nine sports.”

Sports facilities
Tan also said NMSA is committed to provide every sport a good facility to play and train in, pointing out that weightlifting deserves a facility of its own after leading Team NMI in medals won during the Games.

“With their result, they have every right to talk to NMSA. Yeah, they already gave me a little bit of requirements or requests for what they want…with those results coming from weightlifting they deserve it.”

Tan also gave kudos to Torres not only for his all-out support for the Mini Games but also sports in general.

“We would like to again acknowledge and thank the governor for No. 1, your big support for the Mini Games; and No. 2, your big support for the future of sports.”

Tan also gave one final salute to all the athletes—Mini Games, Oceania Athletics Championships in Australia, FIBA Micro Cup in Guam, and 2022 FINA World Championships in Hungary—in attendance during the Team NMI Celebration Dinner.

“I’d like to, again, congratulate every one of you, all of you are winners. You guys really, really make the CNMI proud and the whole community’s behind you!”