Sapong to attend OAA Council meeting

Oceania Athletics Association Council member and Micronesian representative Robin Sapong left for Fiji Wednesday to attend the 2009 OAA Council meeting in Nadi.

Joining Sapong at the meeting in Fiji are IAAF Area Representative to Oceania Bill Bailey, OAA Council president Geoff Gardner of the Norfolk Island, vice president Filimoni Vuli Waqa of Fiji, Australia representative Danny Cocoran, New Zealand representative Trevor Spittle, General Island representative Willie Fong of Samoa, and Polynesian representative Titaua Maurin of French Polynesia.

Sapong, who is also the secretary general and treasurer of the Northern Marianas Athlerics, said there are four main issues to be discussed at the meeting.

The first one is a review of the 20008 season, which saw Oceania athletes compete in the Beijing Olympics, World Championships and the Oceania Grand Prix and Area Championships.

Next on the list is the 12th IAAF World Championships, which Berlin, Germany will be hosting from Aug. 15 to 23.

Sapong added the OAA Council will also be discussing updates at the IAAF Regional Development Centre in Brisbane, Australia.

The Brisbane facility [serving Oceania] is one of the nine RDCs which IAAF built to function as a “branch office” of the federation supporting the work of the member federations and providing a focal point for the program of development action in the areas they serve. The eight other RDCs are located in Beijing, China [serving East Asia]; Cairo, Egypt [Arabic-speaking Africa and Asia]; Dakar, Senegal [serving French-speaking Africa]; Jakarta, Indonesia [serving South and Southeast Asia]; Moscow, Russia [serving Europe and central Asia]; Nairobi, Kenya [serving English-speaking Africa]; San Juan, Puerto Rico [serving Central America and the Caribbean]; and Santa Fe, Argentina [serving South America].

Sapong as Micronesia’s representative to the OAA Council will present to the group the budget for the 2009 Micronesian Area Championships.

“I will submit the budget for review and also seek the sponsorship of Adidas for the area championships,” Sapong said.

Koror, Palau will be hosting the 2009 edition of the biennial track meet in December. Two years ago, Guam was the host, while the area championship took place on Saipan in 2005.

Sapong said the Micronesian Area Championship is tentatively set for Dec. 11 and 12.