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Pacific Games eligibility rule may change
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Posted on Dec 09 2006
The new eligibility rule for the Pacific Games, formerly the South Pacific Games, remains a hot issue and may change.
This according to Northern Marianas Amateur Sports Association president Michael White, who disclosed during Thursday’s NMASA general membership meeting that the currently rule is still being challenge.
“It’s still a hot topic,” he told all in attendance. “The people who don’t like the new eligibility rule haven’t given up on it. They’re claiming that the vote that was taken in Apia was not legal [and] they want to redo the vote on a new charter.”
White said that while many delegations are against the new rule and a change may be possible, it would not happen in time for next year’s Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa.
“Most people are against it, but they may force the issue, so the question of the eligibility rule is not a dead issue at this point. [But] as far as Samoa for next year, it is a dead issue,” he said. “It may change back to something other than what it is now, but it’s not going to change in time for next year’s Pacific Games.”
Earlier this year, the Pacific Games Council created a new charter and made a change in its eligibility criteria for athletes.
The new eligibility rule indicates that in order for an athlete to compete for a respective country, he or she must be a citizen of the country, meaning athletes representing the CNMI must hold U.S. passports and must have resided in the CNMI for at least five years at anytime of the athlete’s life.
So far, sports federations in the CNMI that have expressed they will be affected by the rule include table tennis, wrestling, and tennis, among others.
Next year’s Pacific Games will be held from Aug. 24 to Sept. 7 and will feature delegations from Fiji, New Caledonia, Tahiti, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, the NMI, Guam, Palau, Samoa, Kiribati, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Wallis & Futuna, Marshall Islands, Niue, Norfolk Island, and Tuvalu.
Only six sports will feature CNMI athletes as only beach volleyball, athletics, golf, sailing, tennis, and surfing have submitted the initial payment for the trip on the Dec. 1 deadline. Tennis submitted its payment during the meeting.
