Nine sports still finalizing teams to Palau Mini Games

While baseball and softball have submitted their lineups to the 2005 South Pacific Mini Games in Palau, the other six sports are still in the process of finalizing their teams to the quadrennial event set for July 25 to Aug. 4.

Athletics, which is the name preferred by developmental coach Elias Rangamar, is still determining from a pool of athletes the final two who would be going to Palau.

Rangamar said athletics’ candidates for Palau just returned to training following a much-deserved break. Rangamars and his wards ace coming off a stint in the Oceania Open and Under 18 Area Championships in Australia last month.

He said they are also set to hold more qualifying meets to finalize the two slots for Palau.

Swimming, on the other hand, added another member to its planned 12-man team to the Mini Games. According to Saipan Swim Club coach Michael Stewart, Amanda Johnson has joined early qualifiers Dean Palacios, Nina Mosley, Juan Camacho, and Minerva Cabrera in the list.

Johnson clinched the spot to the Mini Games after a strong performance in the ABC meet and the Guam International Invitational last December. In the two meets, Johnson won 10 of 12 events en route to bagging High Point trophies in her age group.

Stewart also said they are wrapping up three weeks worth of workout, which began during the start of the Christmas holidays.

Jeff Race of lawn tennis, meanwhile, happily reported that one of the team’s hopefuls for the Mini Games, Tim Quan, is currently playing for the International Tennis Federation-Pacific Oceania 18 & Under touring team in Australia.

He also said other candidates have been attending regular team practices twice a week in addition to training on their own.

Table tennis’ Steven Lim said training has been progressing at a normal pace thrice or four times a week at the multi-purpose room of the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

He also said three Saipan players—Budhi Gurung, Chen Yin Lin, and So Yong Dong—are eligible to play in Palau, having resided on Saipan for the minimum requirement of years.

Lim also said most of the top players on Tinian also seem to be eligible for the Mini Games. However, he still needs to sit down with the top brass of Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino to allow some of them to join the team. Table tennis has reserved six spots (five for players and one for coach) for the Mini Games.

Triathlon has finalized their men’s team but has yet to determine the make-up of the women’s squad, according to representative Mike Johnson. He also said that they would be conducting their third and final race of the Enticer Triathlon series this coming weekend.

In last month’s meeting, Northern Mariana Island Triathlon Federation president Stephan Samoyloff disclosed that he, fellow 2003 South Pacific Games bronze-medalist Dirk Sharer, and Chris Fryling would compose the men’s team.

He also said NMITF is still waiting on the decision of Anneka Sakovich, their teammate in Suva, if she could again join them in Palau. Samoyloff also said they are looking at drafting some swimmers for triathlon in the Mini Games.

Speaking for beach volleyball, Gabriel White said the BSEA Rudeger Volleyball Tournament and the Club Elan Volleyball Classic last December and early this month has altered some of the candidates’ scores in the point system they have adopted to select players bound for Palau.

He said they would finalize the two-man team by the end of February at the conclusion of the Micronesian Cup at the Pacific Islands Club and only then could they begin serious training.

Wrestling would be sending Joe Ocampo and Slade T. Adelbai to Palau. The two are fresh from a successful stint in Guam, where Ocampo bagged a silver medal in the Pacific Open, even after belittling his chances a week earlier. Ocampo will compete in the 97-kg. class in Palau, while Adelbai will see action as a heavyweight.

According to a representative from canoeing, they are currently training but the schedule is not definite yet. Tinian has also taken an interest in sending a weightlifting team to Palau, just what like they did in the 2002 Micronesian Games in Pohnpei.

In the December meeting of NMASA, Saipan weightlifter Calvin Tagabuel intimated that he too was interested in participating in the sport.

As mentioned earlier, baseball and softball teams for the Mini Games have already been selected and are set to start serious training in weeks.

Baseball manager Tony Rogolifoi said their training would commence on Jan. 18. Members of the team are Jester Garcia, Matt Kintol, Jonathan Jones, Joe Guerrero, Jonathan Camacho, JP Flores, Byron Kaipat, Robert Bansil, Pat Alepuyo, Craig Sanchez, Greg F. Camacho, Tony Celis, Peter Tomokane, Joey Dela Cruz, AJ Allen, Tyrone Omar, Ben Jones, Jr., Jerome Delos Santos, Dwight Quitano, and Clifton Silil.

Robert Guerrero said softball training also begins this month following a long, long break because of the holidays. Selected to the team are Tony Camacho, Mel Sakisat, Manny Sablan, Dante Sablan, John “Kappon” Sablan, J.R. Suel, Jester Garcia, Jerome Delos Santos, Ben Duenas, Eric Lizama, Jeff Cabrera, John Reyes, Roy Celis, Tony Satur, Jess Manibusan, Jess Peterson, and Ike Taitano.