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Leaking roof halts Rotary games
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Posted on Sep 21 2004
Monday night’s showers forced officials of the 2004 Saipan Rotary Club Summer Youth Basketball League to call off its doubleheader at the indoor Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.
According to Rotary coordinator Elias Rangamar playing conditions became dangerous early in the second half of the game between defending champion Ol’Aces and Makos when water leaking from a damaged ventilation shaft on the roof created puddles on the hard court.
Jonathan Tenorio, a staff at the Division of Sports and Recreation, said that not all of the hard court was covered with water and only certain spots were actually slippery. Then again, he said, they didn’t want to risk it since they were dealing with 18-and-under players.
Rangamar added that in the past they usually let teams play on despite the water puddles accumulating on the court. But he added that those games involved older players and that the Rotary is a totally different league.
“Adult players are not supposed to play in those kind of conditions much less players 18 years old and younger,” said Ranagamar.
He said the leak on the gym’s roof has been perennial problem since as far as he could remember.
“Let me see, I started working here in 1991 and the roof was already leaking then. From the start, that’s always been the problem. In fact my boss Tony [Rogolifoi] said it [the roof] was already leaking as soon as contractors finished building the gym back in 1989.”
Ranagamar and Tenorio both hope that something would finally be done to repair the age-old problem of the gym’s leaking roof.
The continuation of the Makos-Ol’Aces encounter and the face-off between 69ers I and Garapan Rollers III in the second game will be reschedule until the end of the regular season, according to Rangamar. At the time play was halted, Makos led Ol’Aces 40-38 with still 15:52 left in the game.
Weather and conditions inside the gym permitting, the Rotary league resumes tonight with Makos taking on Sixers II in the 5:30am first game. The second game then features 69ers II against Garapan Rollers III.
