Work ongoing for Mini Games facilities

Five 20-foot containers with materials and supplies to upgrade the Oleai track field are parked at the back of the flagpoles of the facility on the side of the Saipan Mayor’s Office building in Oleai. (MARK RABAGO)

Ninety-nine days before the opening of the biggest sporting event the CNMI will be hosting in its history, the Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games 2022 Organizing Committee is doing its best to prepare the venues for the nine sports offered in the quadrennial event set from June 17 to 25 this year.

Games organizing committee CEO Vicente “Ben” Babauta said the good news is that the Oleai track and field is finally ready for its much-needed makeover with the arrival of materials.

“We have five 20-foot containers specifically for track and field materials and supplies. It’s parked near the Saipan Mayor’s Office or right behind the flagpoles. As of this morning, the contract to refurbish the Oleai track and field has been signed and also the notice to proceed. The plan is we need to shut down the track and field to commence work,” he said.

For badminton, Babauta unfortunately said the long-awaited air-conditioning units for the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium won’t be installed before the Mini Games

“Other than repairs to its windows, we would facilitate badminton at its present condition. We could live with what we have in badminton because procurement for Taraflex flooring is on its way and we just need to put up the net and we’re on. No air-conditioning as it won’t happen before the Games but there’ll be enough air circulation.”

The MGOC official said the grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency is still there but it’s his understanding that the processing—getting out proposals, obtaining bids, and awarding and procurement—requires 150 days. “And we’re literally 100 days before the Games.”

For the Francisco M. Palacios Baseball Field, he said contract to repair the baseball facility and the notice to proceed have both been signed.

“We will do what is needed, primarily the infield and the grounds. In terms of the fencing, we will just have to deal with the existing fencing and pull it and straighten it out, repair it, and do what it takes to obviously make it safe and presentable. We really don’t have enough time to do the entire fencing. Dugouts and the press box will be completed.”

For beach volleyball, Babauta said work at the Crowne Plaza beach sand courts is ongoing. “We have quite a few improvements on the grounds—both clearing and taking out debris—from the concessionaires and the basically the surroundings area.”

Among the sports venues, golf seems to be the most ready with the Coral Ocean Point Golf Resort 99% complete, according to Babauta. “Coral Ocean Point management continues to invest on maintenance and greens-keepers, etc.”

The MGOC is more than half way in laying lines and the buoys for the outrigger canoe competition.

“There’s a team in the water facilitating the anchors for the buoys. We will complete them by April and we can actually test the lanes with the va’a national team.”

As far as equipment is concerned, Babauta said all the 18 V1s they’ve received so far are in their warehouse. The second batch of V6s, which is another six units, will arrive end of the month with the last set of V6s expected in the first week of May.

For weightlifting, Babauta said training is ongoing at the MGOC warehouse No. 4 and procurement of weightlifting equipment will arrive on April 2. As far as the venue is concerned, the said the Marianas High School Gymnasium is pretty much ready and it only needs the installation of temporary air-conditioning units.

He said unlike badminton, the MGOC is required to install air-conditioning at MHS because the Mini Games will take place the same time as the Oceania Senior Weightlifting Championships.

For tennis, he said they are still awaiting the approval to use the American Memorial Park tennis courts from the National Park Services. He said once they get the green light, they will start resurfacing the four tennis courts and they expect the work to be completed in the first half of May.

Babauta said the MGOC and the Triathlon Association of the CNMI are flying back to Rota in March 15 for a final meeting with Rota Mayor Efraim Atalig and his Cabinet members. “The sites for triathlon are ready. The Rota Roundhouse should be completed by early May. The marina right near the pontoon is also pretty much set,” he said.