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Bodybuilding, wrestling new NMSA members
Aaron Tomokane, seen here posing during a local bodybuilding tournament last month, is among the officials of new NMSA member Commonwealth Bodybuilding Federation. (Jon Perez)
Commonwealth Bodybuilding Federation president John Davis and Northern Marianas Wrestling head Jason Tarkong both attended NMSA’s monthly meeting last Thursday to present their credentials to the NMSA board. Davis and Tarkong were voted in separate elections of their respective groups.
Davis said that he and several other people got interested in reviving bodybuilding in the CNMI after they read a story in the newspaper encouraging concerned individuals/groups to step up to the plate.
“This is a younger and newer group interested to organize bodybuilding competitions again. I came here to seek membership to NMSA,” said Davis.
He added that the group is slowly bringing bodybuilding back into the CNMI people’s consciousness.
“We are slowly organizing back the sport. Our federation welcomes anyone who is interested in bodybuilding, fitness and health,” Davis said.
Other CBF elected officers are secretary Jeanne Rayphand and treasurer Aaron Tomokane
Tarkong, meanwhile, said that Saipan International School teacher Adam Harris is helping them organize the NMW.
“[Harris] has a background in wrestling. He was a wrestler in high school and in college back in the U.S. We need all the help that we can get,” said Tarkong.
“The last time we had wrestling in the CNMI was during the 2006 Micronesian Games. Coach Joe Ocampo initiated the program but it died down. Now we want to bring it back,” Tarkong said.
He added that they had already come up with a charter to become a non-profit organization and two more officials were elected to the NMW board. They were Ocampo and Harris, who are NMW’s vice president and treasurer, respectively.
Wrestling is an Olympic sport that has two events—freestyle and Greco-Roman—and many medals are at stake in every competition, as it has different weight classes. It is a combat sport that has grappling, takedowns, and joint locks as techniques.
In other news, Tarkong said that KC Conner is also planning to introduce judo in the CNMI. (Jon Perez)
