Mini Games bid unites CNMI

Pacific Games Council Vidhya Lakhan was impressed to see how all members of the community in the CNMI unite to present a promising bid for the hosting rights of the 2017 Pacific Mini Games.

The Council president said all stakeholders—from the government side to the local sports community, schools, and business sectors—become one team and are making their contributions to the CNMI’s bid package and this is a good sign that a successful Games can be achieved if ever the Commonwealth wins the bid contest.

Lakhan together with Council executive director Andrew Minogue were on Saipan last week and stayed here for four days for a site inspection visit and meeting with government officials and other concerned parties in the CNMI’s bid for the Mini Games.

The two officials visited various facilities last Wednesday and met with school officials and some businessmen and then last Thursday paid a visit to Gov. Benigno R. Fitial.
“The meeting with the governor was very positive. He said improvements on facilities are on their way. The governor will be in Noumea during the CNMI’s bid presentation and he will lead your delegation,” Lakhan said.

The Council president also met Marianas High School principal Craig Garrison and Hopwood Junior High School’s Jonas Barcinas. Both schools are proposed as Athletes Village and the two principals said room renovations and other facilities inside the school, particularly restrooms, will be done in time for 2017.

For his part, Northern Marianas Amateur Sports Association president Michael White, who helped toured the visitors to the facilities on island, said the CNMI is all set for the Games.

“We are ready to host the nations participating in the Games. We are ready to go,” White said.

Lakhan and Minogue left Saipan Friday afternoon and the former is expected to work on an evaluation report this week after visiting the CNMI, Vanuatu, and Nauru. The report will be distributed to the 22 Pacific Games Associations (PGAs), which will then decide the winning bid on Sept. 4 at the Pacific Games general assembly in Noumea during the Pacific Games.

The CNMI will need 12 votes to get the majority decision and win the bid outright. If no nation gets the majority votes, a second round of voting will take place between the Top 2 vote getters. Lakhan and Minogue are not allowed to vote.