NMSA elects new board of directors, officers

The Northern Marianas Sports Association has elected its new board of directors and officers, who will have a busy calendar, as the NMI prepares for three off-island competitions and looks forward to further improvements at the Oleai Sports Complex in the next four years.

Elected to the NMSA board during last month’s special meeting of the general membership were the following: Jerry Tan, president; Ramon Tebuteb, vice president; Valerie Hofschneider, general secretary; John Hirsh, treasurer; John Davis, James Lee, and Alex Sablan, directors; and Nick Gross, ex-officio member.

“The NMSA board is pleased and thankful for the confidence and trust that the general membership or the different national sports federations have given us. It will be a very busy four years for all of us, as we work on keeping the momentum we have built from the successful hosting of the 2022 Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games and put together our efforts in supporting programs for our athletes, coaches, and technical officials, and in transforming and maintaining our facilities at the Oleai Sports Complex,” Tan said.

The NMSA is the caretaker of the Oleai Sports Complex that houses multiple sports and events facilities. The complex, which has already undergone several improvements after sustaining significant damage from back-to-back super typhoons, will continue its upgrade with the Economic Development Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s awarding of a grant to the NMI last year. EDA has allotted a $21.2 million grant to rebuild the Oleai Sports Complex and create an adjacent cultural events site.

Besides overseeing the improvement works at the Oleai Sports Complex, the NMSA’s leadership will also play an important role in the NMI’s preparations for the 2023 Micronesian Games in the Marshall Islands, the 2023 Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands, and the 2025 Pacific Mini Games in Palau.

With the Micro Games and Pacific Games approaching, the NMSA is looking to assist national federations in sending as many delegates as possible to the Marshall Islands and Solomon Islands by seeking financial help from the government to arrange charter flights for Team NMI.  

“Our athletes have proven in this year’s Mini Games what they can do when pitted against the best athletes in our region. They will continue to raise their skill level if we will also continue to provide them opportunities to compete,” NMSA vice president Ramon Tebuteb said. (PR)