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Cagers sought for Micro Games
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Posted on Dec 29 2005
CNMI Men’s National Basketball Team head coach Rufino Aguon will be holding tryouts for players interested in representing the Commonwealth in the basketball competition of the 2006 Micronesian Games slated next July and August.
Aguon said the tryouts for the Men’s National Basketball Team will begin on Jan. 11 and the 15 players selected would be announced by the end of January.
“The tryouts for men’s basketball will start on January. I am hoping that by end of the month, 15 would already have been selected to the team that will continue training. By May, if not sooner, 12 out of the 15 will be selected to represent CNMI. The other three will be alternates,” he said.
Aguon said he would be looking at four things from players during the tryouts—attitude, physical fitness, skills, and knowledge of the rules.
“If all the above are equal between two or more players, then height will be the determining factor,” said Aguon, who coached the CNMI in the 2002 Micronesian Games in Pohnpei.
He also said that interested players must pass three eligibility requirements put up by BANMI, which is a player must have played in a BANMI-sanctioned league; must have lived continuously in the CNMI for seven years if not of CNMI decent; and if of Micronesian decent, must have lived in the CNMI for three straights years.
Aside from basketball, other sports proposed to be featured during the Games include athletics, baseball for men, beach volleyball, golf, softball, slow pitch softball, spear fishing, sailing, swimming, table tennis, tennis, triathlon, outrigger canoeing, volleyball, wrestling for men, weightlifting, and Micronesian All-Around.
The Micronesian Games would be held be held from June 23 to July 7 and is expected to draw 1,500-1,700 athletes, coaches, and officials from around region.
The event was last held on Saipan in 1990. The state of Yap originally won the bid to host next year’s Games, however, it begged off citing that its facilities were devastated by typhoons over the past years. Subsequently, the Micronesian Games Organizing Committee awarded the Games to the CNMI.
