Anneka eyeing Pacific Games participation

Palau South Pacific Mini Games gold medalist Anneka Sakovich wants to be part of the CNMI National Triathlon Team for the 2007 Pacific Games in Apia, Western Samoa.

In an email to the Saipan Tribune last week, the only daughter of CNMI Sports Hall of Fame inductees Bill and Jean Sakovich said she definitely will not take part in the 2006 Micronesian Games even if it takes place on Saipan, but intimated that she is interested in carrying the Commonwealth’s colors in the Pacific Games next year.

Sakovich said that she is only now easing back to training for triathlons. Also making herself busy these days are her full-time job at a sports event management company as well as a part-time one with a similar firm. She is also currently studying to get her master’s degree in Sport Management.

“I squeeze the training in between homework, work, and sleep. I don’t think I would make it out to Palau again if they get the [Micronesian] Games. Although, I would like to try and make the team for Apia, Western Samoa,” she said.

The Micronesian Games are not the only “local” sports event Sakovich is begging off from, she also said because of her extremely busy schedule, she would also not be taking part in this year’s XTERRA Saipan Championships and 20th Tagaman Triathlon, both set in early April.

“I will not make it out for the XTERRA Saipan Championships—I’ve just got too much going on. I will do the XTERRA here in California though later in the year—hopefully,” she said.

Asked how her family is doing, Sakovich said she hasn’t yet visited them in their retirement home in Hilo, Hawaii but plans to meet up with them in a few months. She also said her father for sure would be back on Saipan for XTERRA and Tagaman.

“I think my dad should be heading out soon to Saipan. You can’t keep him away for too long. I think he will be helping again on Tagaman and XTERRA. I will probably catch up with them sometime in the summer,” she said.

Sakovich made her home islands proud last summer when she struck gold in the women’s aquathon. She was the first to the finish line in her division, checking in with a time of 1:21:03.

Together with the rest of the triathlon team—Stephan Samoyloff, Dirk Sharer, Ketson “Jack” Kabiriel, Melissa Coleman, and Natasha Good—Anneka also won a gold medal in the team aquathon.

Two years prior to the Palau Mini Games, Sakovich also joined forced with Samoyloff, and Sharer Sakovich, this time to win a bronze medal in the team triathlon competition of the 2003 South Pacific Games in Suva, Fiji.