Swim group still hopeful

The Kan Pacific Swimming Pool has turned into a swamp one year after its closure. (Kimberly A. Bautista)

The Northern Mariana Islands Swimming Federation hopes to find a way to re-open the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool before Saipan hosts the 2021 Pacific Mini Games.

The 50-meter pool in Marpi closed on Oct. 1, 2018 and one year after the shutdown, the facility is obviously not a pretty sight. The pool is algae-infested, turning the once clear blue water into a dirty swamp. The starting blocks also accumulated rust with the absence of maintenance work for the whole year. The walls of the swimming pool have also started to deteriorate over time and weeds have begun to inch closer and closer to the water.

The NMISF hopes to get the pool back, rebuilding it through the help of FINA—the world-governing body in swimming—and the CNMI government. Since Kan Pacific’s lease on the Marpi property expired last year, the pool has been placed under the government’s care through the Department of Public Lands.

According to NMISF president Colin Thompson, they already submitted a request to FINA, asking for support to rebuild the Marpi pool and they are also having discussions with the CNMI government.

“We submitted a request for FINA’s support to rebuild the pool in Marpi. We are consulting with Myrtha Pools, which prepared a feasibility survey for the Marpi pool and we are speaking with representatives of the CNMI government,” he said.

“We have opportunities to host future regional meets. We hope to find a way to reopen the pool before the Mini Games,” Thompson added.

Swimming was initially included on the list of sports to be played in the 2021 Pacific Mini Games. However, the event was taken out of the lineup due to the closure of the Marpi pool and the scaling down of the quadrennial meet because of budget concerns. Then in the previous Northern Mariana Sports Association meeting, there was a discussion of considering swimming anew for the calendar of events for the 2021 Mini Games.

Besides the regional competition, Thompson said NMISF is also concerned of local and international races. He said it has been tough for local swimming competitors to train for international meets in the past year, leaving the CNMI bets at a disadvantage against their opponents, who have the right training facilities. Thompson added that the loss of the Marpi pool has affected children, who are interested in pursuing swimming and have been used to attending regular swim lessons in an appropriate vene.

“It is tough on our swim teams. Although Tsunami Saipan and Saipan Swim Club both continue to train in the ocean and at modest private pools, they are put at a competitive disadvantage when racing against other Oceania teams (as they did in Samoa this summer at the Pacific Games) and against swimmers worldwide (as they did in Gwangju, South Korea in July at the FINA World Championships). The loss of the Marpi pool also impacted our ability to teach swimming to children,” the NMISF head said.

“It is a loss for the whole island and for swimming in the region. We are currently unable to host local meets, as well as our international meet which was a mainstay among Micronesian swimmers,” he added.

Former NMISF president John Hirsh shared Thompson’s sentiments, saying the Marpi pool closure has proven to be a setback for the islands’ swimmers.

“It’s been one year without a competitive pool in the CNMI. Not having a pool, so that our athletes can train and compete, has been very tough on our swimmers and their families. While our swim clubs have persevered and continued to train in the ocean and at other hotel pools, not having an ‘official competition’ venue is a major setback for swimming,” he said.