Sports community welcomes visiting triathletes

Visiting triathletes started coming here last week for the 2012 XTERRA Saipan Championship, making the sports community busy with taking care of the island’s guests.

Switzerland’s Renata Bucher and Olivier Marceau, Australia’s Ben Allen, United Kingdom’s Graham Wadsworth and Jacqui Slack, France Cedric Lassonde, U.S.’ Will Kelsay and Branden Rakita, Austria’s Carina Wasle, and Japan’s Takahiro Ogasawara were among the more than 20 visiting athletes on the island and competed in the last stop of the XTERRA Asia Tour’s Triple Crown.

They went to pre-ride and run of the XTERRA Saipan course with local athletes and attended a couple of get-togethers before the actual race last Saturday.

While Saipan was busy preparing for XTERRA, other local competitions continued last week.

Northern Marianas Badminton Association had its championships games for the 2012 Tan Holdings Doubles Competition. In the men’s division, Andreau Galvez and Rodwealth Espana won Class A, Oh Im Bog and Jexler Caranto topped Class B, and Son Jae Ok and Kim Young Seok ruled Class C. In the women’s division, the champions list includes Class C’s Midori Obi and Kazuko Sondheim, Class A’s Loyda and Angie Ito, and Class B’s Marylyn Montano and Cheng Saturno.

In football, Shirley’s FC and Tan Holdings FC squared off in the girls U15 division of the NMIFA spring youth league at the Hopwood Junior High School Field, while over at the Oleai Sports Complex Field, the boys U15 and U18 teams also had their regular season games.

The NMIFA men’s league is also being played at the Oleai pitch, and Week 2 of the competition saw Wild Bill’s and MP United win against their respective foes, while Matansa, Paire, and Inter Godfather’s forced draws.

In basketball, the DLX/Miller Lite caging is nearing completion of the regular season games with teams battling for the eight playoff berths. The Sunrisers, Blue Haus, QQ Rent A Car, Mobil, and Crystal Pure so far are the five teams assured of slots to the next round.

In baseball, the Falcons and Jets 1 and 2 won in the Senior League, the Red Sox Fielders, and Ol’Aces prevailed in the Junior League; and the Hustlers triumphed in the Big League game last week.

Also recording victories last week were bowlers M.J. Aldan, Diane Camacho, and Percy Omechelang, who ruled the Saipan Bowling Association March roll-offs.