MGOC welcomes Palau, clears up eligibility rules

With little more than two months remaining before scores of athletes, coaches, trainers, heads of state, and spectators descend upon Saipan for the 6th Micronesian Games, the Micronesian Games Organizing Committee continued to plan for the quadrennial event with another weekly meeting to focus on the finer points of hosting the region’s finest competitors.

This time the MGOC had some company in the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium conference room as chairman of the Micronesian Games Council Bill Keldermans and Palau National Olympic Committee Sports Development Officer Jubilee Kuartei attended the meeting to address some concerns from the Palauan delegation.

After the meeting, Keldermans said that he was pleased with the way that things are shaping up and said that the preparations are about where they should be.

“They’re coming along fine. Everything’s falling into place. Everything’s a little late but that’s to be expected because we started late but everything is going along fine. I see no problems,” he said.

The chairman said that he was impressed with the way that the CNMI has come together to make the Games happen in such a short amount of time and that he sees no problems on the horizon.

“First I’d like to thank the people of Saipan for the work that they’re doing. We’ve done two Games like this before and it takes four years to do it. You guys accepted this with less than a year left and had some problems, and actually it will be four or five months that you have to complete it all. I think that you’ve taken on a rough job and so far it seems like everything’s organized and I’m pleased with everything I’ve seen,” he said.

Kuartei echoed Keldermans’ statements and said that the Palauans are excited to come and compete on Saipan this summer.

“The meeting was very well organized. [The CNMI is] moving forward and not backed up. We came here and got a lot of information and it looks like everyone is doing a really great job. [The athletes are] all excited that the Games are actually on, kind of a little bit rushed because of the short time in preparing for the Games, but the athletes are all looking forward to it,” she said.

Keldermans said after his visits to various points in Micronesia that Palau isn’t the only delegation ready to compete in the CNMI two months from now.

“I think the other countries, like Yap, Chuuk, and Pohnpei are all excited about coming. They all want to come out. I was there a couple of months ago and everyone kept asking me where the Games was going to be—especially the FSM because they had to cancel the FSM Games because Chuuk couldn’t host it. Now they’re ready to do the Micronesian Games,” he said.

During the meeting MGOC chairman Michael White clarified the residency requirements as they pertain to Micronesians by saying that they can participate for the island of their choice as long as they reside on any island in Micronesia for three years prior to the Games.

“Theoretically, you can have a Kosraean living on Yap who wants to play for Nauru,” said White.

That scenario works for Micronesians, but not for expatriates. Non-Micronesians have a completely different road to eligibility. According to the Games Charter from 1992, non-Micronesians must reside in the country for which they wish to represent for no less than seven years before the event.