CNMI facilities make grade

The CNMI’s proposed facilities for the 2017 Pacific Mini Games have made the grade, according to visiting officials of the Pacific Games Council.

“The facilities are impressive. They have very good standards and I believe the CNMI has the capability to host the Mini Games,” PGC executive director Andrew Minogue said in an interview with Saipan Tribune after more than three hours of visiting various facilities on Saipan yesterday.

Joining Minogue in conducting an inspection site to CNMI sports facilities was council president Vidhya Lakhan. Accompanying them were Northern Marianas Sports Association president Michael White and NMASA board members Tony Rogolifoi, Rose Igitol, Ed Salas, Jordan Kosam, and Jess Wabol.

The group started the tour at the Marianas High School to check the MHS Gymnasium and the Dolphins classrooms. The visitors also made stops at the Oleai Sports Complex, Hopwood Junior High School, Pacific Islands Club tennis courts, Coral Ocean Point Golf Course, NMC Gymnasium, the proposed location for a new football field in Koblerville, Kan Pacific Swimming Pool, and Laolao Bay Golf Resort.

When asked to grade the CNMI facilities from 1 to 10 with the latter the highest, Minogue gave the Commonwealth an eight.

“I and the president have no specific criteria for each facility. We give a general overview and by just looking at the facility, we can already tell if one is fit for competition. You just need minor repairs and I believe it would not be difficult for the CNMI to do these renovations. There’s no serious problem here as far as the facilities are concerned,” Minogue said.

Among the facilities they visited, the executive director liked what he saw at the Oleai Sports Complex, while Lakhan was impressed with the well-kept MHS Gymnasium.

“It’s one venue that can host athletics, softball, baseball, basketball, football, and volleyball. The complex is also close to MHS, which is being proposed as an Athletes Village, so it will be convenient for the athletes,” Minogue said.

“It is very nice,” Lakhan noted when MHS Gymnasium’s James Feger toured the group around the air-conditioned facility.

Lakhan and Minogue are first-time visitors to Saipan and the island was the last stop of their site inspection. They first went to Nauru mid last month and then Minogue checked on Vanuatu in the last week of May. Vanuatu is considered as the CNMI’s toughest foe in the bidding contest for the hosting rights of the 2017 Pacific Mini Games, while Nauru is the dark horse among the three bidding nations.

After their Saipan visit, the two officials will make an evaluation report of the three bidding countries and send it to the 22 members of Pacific Games Associations next week.

Then between next week until September, the CNMI, Vanuatu, and Nauru must submit a progress report to PGAs. The progress report is crucial as this may convince voting members that the bidder is doing the necessary steps to host a successful Mini Games.

Voting will be done on Sept. 4 in Noumea, New Caledonia during the 2012 Pacific Games. Each nation will be given 30 minutes to make their presentation and then the country to get 12 (majority) of the 22 votes wins the hosting rights. If no one gets the majority, a second round of voting will be in effect between the Top 2 vote getters.