NMSA to get help for its facilities

The fence of the Miguel “Tan Ge” Basa Pangelinan Softball Field fell down after Typhoon Soudelor hit Saipan last Aug. 2, 2015. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The Northern Marianas Sports Association is expecting to get some help from its facilities improvement with several private firms making a donation and the Federal Emergency Management Administration approving a grant to renovate the Oleai Sports Complex.

NMSA president Michael A. White announced during their monthly meeting last week at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium’s conference room that Bank of Hawaii is considering to donate some of its furniture to the Commonwealth’s sports body.

“With Bank of Hawaii closing one of their branches they are considering to give some of their furniture to NMSA as a donation,” said White, who added that NMSA board member Gil Birnbrich is facilitating the transfer.

Another substantial donation is a property on Tinian from one of White’s clients that could benefit NMSA in the future. White, who is a lawyer by profession, did not name the client and did not further elaborate about the property as he is still waiting for other details of the planned donation.

Repairs and other improvement could also begin at the Oleai Sports Complex as FEMA had already released, through the Governor’s Office, the grant that would fund the renovation at facilities that were damaged by Typhoon Soudelor last year.

NMSA received more than $400,000 from FEMA to fund the renovation based on the assessment made by a FEMA inspector a few days after the typhoon.

The Ada Gym, NMSA office, Francisco M. “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field, Miguel Basa “Tan Ge” Pangelinan softball field, and the Oleai track and field stadium suffered heavy damage when Soudelor ripped through Saipan last Aug. 2.

Resurfacing of the Oleai track is being funded separately through a Community Development Block Grant from the Northern Marianas Housing Corp. Ten construction firms, including an Australian company, have shown interest of submitting bids for the project.

NMSA executive director Tony Rogolifoi reported to the group that the money is already with the Governor’s Office and is awaiting process for it to be released so renovation could now begin.

NMSA is expecting that the process and other paper work would be done after the funeral of the late governor Eloy S. Inos, who died last Dec. 28 (Dec. 29 local time) in the U.S. mainland.

The Department of Public Works is tasked to do the scope of work while other documentation and the request for proposal will go through other agencies under the Governor’s Office.

Sports events like basketball and indoor volleyball leagues, and the opening of the Saipan Little League and the Saipan Baseball League are currently on hold as they await for repairs of the facilities they regularly use with their respective seasons.

NMSA is in the process of having the facilities inside the Oleai Sports Complex renovated and improved in time for Saipan’s hosting of the 2021 Pacific Mini Games.

The SBL will be hosting the inaugural Micronesian Baseball Classic in the middle of the year while the Northern Marianas Athletics is also aiming to bid to bring the Micronesian Athletics Championship back to Saipan.

Aside from the money from FEMA, NMSA is also eligible to apply for another grant to fund separate projects of rebuilding a new grandstand at the Tan Ko baseball field and to construct an eight-foot fence around the Oleai Sports Complex.