Athletics, golf to represent NMI in ’17 Mini Games

Sapong

Only athletics and golf will be sending teams to the 2017 Pacific Mini Games in Port Vila, Vanuatu with both associations informing the Northern Marianas Sports Association of their plan during the group’s monthly meeting last week at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium conference room.

NMA officials, led by secretary general Robin Sapong and athletics coach Eli Rangamar, and golf representative Tony Rogolifoi said their respective groups would be competing in the two-week long sporting conclave after being asked by NMSA president Michael A. White.

The CNMI has no official golf federation and players are scattered in a number of groups like the Amigos Golf Club, CNMI Women’s Golf Association, FilTaga, Korean Golf Association, Marianas Golf Association, Refaluwasch Golf Association, and the Saipan Golfers Association.

Rogolifoi, who is also the NMSA executive director, is a member of RGA with some of its members representing the CNMI in last year’s Pacific Games in Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea.

NMA, Sapong and Rangamar said, will have two male and female runners and one coach while golf, according to Rogolifoi, is interested in sending a five-member men’s team with one coach while he is not sure of a women’s squad.

Beach volleyball, football (soccer), tennis, and weightlifting are the other sports to be held in Vanuatu, which the CNMI has an existing federation or group.

The Northern Mariana Islands Volleyball Association, Northern Mariana Islands Football Association, and Northern Mariana Islands Tennis Association will not be sending athletes, while weightlifting has been inactive since bringing home 12 medals in the 2014 Micronesian Games in Pohnpei.

Rugby, archery boxing, cricket, judo, karate, and netball are the other sports to be played in the 2017 competition.

World University Archery Championship veteran Rachel Bouchillon is planning to introduce the sport here on the island, while Air Force reservist Stanley Iakopo is trying to revive the community’s interest in rugby.

Sensei Eiichi Ishiguro is the president of the Northern Mariana Islands Karatedo Federation under where he teaches a number of students in Garapan.

There were previous athletes and practitioners of boxing and judo but they became inactive after a few years.

Organizers of the 2017 Mini Games has also pushed back the dates from the summer to Dec. 2 to 14 to give them more time to renovate and improve the facilities and venues damaged by Cyclone Pam in March last year.