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Lack of hotel rooms concerns sports community
Saipan players watch a player from Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball at bat during a baseball clinic at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield in January this year. Baseball teams from Japan and Korea that used to come here are in other countries for their winter training. (Saipan Tribune)
Northern Marianas Sports Association executive director Tony Rogolifoi said the CNMI sports community is thankful for Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ support to sports tourism in the Commonwealth, but hopes problems in inadequate hotel rooms will be addressed, too.
“It’s a good thing that tourists are coming back. But the problem is we lack the hotel rooms to accommodate them. Especially, athletes who wanted to either train here or compete in one of our sporting events,” said Rogolifoi.
“Those who regularly visit Saipan to train here are having a hard time booking their accommodation because of the lack of hotel rooms. They usually train here during their winter season because of our warm climate,” the NMSA official added.
Four-time KBO League champions LG Twins, a South Korean professional baseball team, were regular visitors on Saipan for their spring training. There were also Japanese teams who used to come to the island to train.
“Right now, they are training in other countries. Hopefully all the hotel projects that are being constructed would soon be completed so we could again welcome them here,” Rogolifoi said.
The NMSA executive director added that having regular teams here or other athletes competing in the CNMI-hosted tournaments is in line with the Commonwealth’s plan to promote the islands as sports haven and all stakeholders must worked together to boost sports tourism.
“This is not a project of the government alone. The government, NMSA, and MVA should work together to further push this. We have the sports facilities. All we need now are the amenities that would accommodate our visitors,” Rogolifoi said.
Torres, in an earlier interview, said that he fully supports Marianas Visitors Authority’s plan to diversify the CNMI’s market by enticing amateur or professional athletes to come to the islands to train or compete in tournaments.
