OAA to train officials for Micro Games

In its continuing effort to promote and develop athletics in the region, Oceania Athletics Association is planning a weeklong training for officials to prepare for the 2006 Micronesian Games.

This according to OAA executive director Yvonne Mullins, who told the Saipan Tribune that the athletics governing body for the region will continue to provide assistance to ensure a smooth athletics meet in the quadrennial event.

“Leading into the Micro Games, it is our intention to run a course for our officials, which is the Oceania Technical Officials Course, so we’ll try and run that course maybe a week before the Micronesian Games,” she said. “Alongside that, we would like to run a course in meet management, which is the Results and Entries Course, and we’d certainly like to get people here trained in running photo finish. So all in all, we think that the whole package is to ensure that we give training.”

Mullins, who also congratulated Northern Marianas Athletics for a “job well done” in hosting the recent 2nd Micronesia Athletics Championships, said although the meet was run professionally, there’s always room for improvement.

“What would be good is that if we can run the course, then we’ll have people stationed here who are trained and we’ll be able to then say that the people are up to standard,” she said. “It’s not that they’re not yet, it’s just that we’ll give them some formal coaching and training in being officials.”

With that, Mullins had advised that athletics be held during the first week of the Micro Games instead of the second week.

“I think it would be better,” she said. “We’re looking at holding the course a week before the athletics events, and if athletics will be held on the second week, we’ll be here during the first week of the Games and it will probably be hard to find volunteers for training…everyone would already be busy and want to watch the other games.”

The Micronesian Games begins on June 23 and will conclude on July 7. About 1,500 to 1,700 athletes, coaches, and officials from the region are expected to take part in the Games, which was originally supposed to be hosted by Yap.

The Micro Games was then awarded to the CNMI shortly after the South Pacific Mini Games in Palau this past summer after the Games’ council determined that Yap was not ready to host the event due to damages sustained from typhoons.