Officials weigh in on 2019 Pacific Games host

Members of the CNMI Va’a Team pose for a photo before leaving Saipan for Papua New Guinea last Tuesday to compete in the XV Pacific Games. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Local sports officials gave their take on the three countries that expressed interest in taking over the hosting rights for the 2019 Pacific Games after the withdrawal of original choice Tonga.

Northern Marianas National Paddling Sports Federation president Justine Andrew picks Guam and Tahiti, leaving Samoa off his list.

“Cost-wise, our federation would prefer that Guam hosts the Pacific Games. However, to learn more and be able to develop and strengthen our paddling experience, we would be glad if Tahiti hosts. Tahiti is paddling and therefore, the experience we would get from them would be extremely valuable to our paddling program here,” Andrew said.

Having the Pacific Games in Guam would also mean that the CNMI could send more paddlers to the quadrennial event because of the cheaper cost of the trip and its proximity to the Commonwealth. In the 2015 Pacific Games in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, the CNMI only sent a men’s team (eight members) to the competition. The squad raced in the 500m and 1,500m events, while its member Ketson “Jack” Kabiriel did the 500m and 15-kilometer long distance single contests.

Guam is also the logical choice for two other group sports—basketball and baseball.

“Sending teams (men’s and women’s) to Guam would be less costly to us. It will also be easier to fund raise because we don’t need such big amount,” Mariana Islands Basketball Federation’s Elias Rangamar said.

Saipan Baseball League’s Tony Rogolifoi is pinning his hopes, too on Guam not only because of the cheaper costs of travel, but also due to the potential host’s strong baseball program.

“Obviously, I would prefer Guam because it would cost less to get there, especially for a big team like baseball, which usually has around 20 players, excluding coaches,” said Rogolifoi. “Plus, baseball is very much alive in Guam, just like here.”

The CNMI last fielded a baseball team in the 2011 Pacific Games in New Caledonia and won the gold medal after beating perennial rival Guam in the finals, 8-4.

Athletics, which has been consistently sending representatives to either the Mini Games or the Pacific Games, believes that what the bidding countries have to offer should be look into, not only the location.

“Voting members ought to look at the justifications of bidders over locations,” Northern Marianas Athletics Association president Ramon Tebuteb said.

Under the normal bidding process, Pacific Games Association member countries have to cast their votes to select the host of events sanctioned by the Pacific Games Council. However, the council, in the press statement, said its executive board will closely review the proposals of the respective countries before recommending al alternative host by the end of this month or early September.

Regardless of which country gets the hosting rights, Northern Marianas Sports Association president Michael White believes all are capable of handling the Pacific Games as they have done it before.

“NMSA is pleased that three countries have stepped forward and announced their willingness to host the 2019 Pacific Games on such short notice. Having participated in past Pacific Games in all three countries, we are confident that any one of them is capable of staging a great Games. We look forward to the report and recommendations of the Pacific Games Council Executive in a few weeks’ time,” White said.

Guam hosted the Pacific Games in 1975 and 1999; Tahiti had the event in 1971 and 1995, while the quadrennial competition was held in Samoa in 1983 and 2007.