Marianas as training site gathers steam

Gov. Juan N. Babauta and Guam Gov. Felix Camacho yesterday confirmed that they have received a feasibility study that said the CNMI and Guam have the necessary attributes to serve as an Olympic processing center and training site prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Tucker & Associates, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm, conducted the study, which was funded by a Technical Assistance grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior.

“This is great news,” said Babauta, who was briefed on the study by William Tucker, chairman of the company, when he was in Washington for President Bush’s inauguration.

“Now it’s up to us to implement a marketing plan to attract teams to our islands before they go to Beijing.”

Tucker, who is immediate past co-chairman of the International Relations Committee of the U.S. Olympic Committee, pointed out in the study that the CNMI and Guam have similar climate conditions, altitude and time zones to Beijing, which make it an ideal place for acclimating athletes prior to competition.

The report compiled a catalogue of the sports facilities in the CNMI and Guam and also noted that other facilities, including tennis courts, two new Olympic-sized swimming pools and an all-weather track, will be added to American Memorial Park on Saipan, due for completion in 2007.

“I am very committed to sports tourism in Guam,” said Camacho. “If we are successful in attracting some of the world’s finest athletes here, it would go a long way towards establishing our reputation and leadership in this field.”

Public Law 27-130, passed in December 2004 by the Guam Legislature, provides tax credits to companies that contribute to the development and construction of a multi-purpose sports complex at the University of Guam. The sports complex will include a track, a baseball practice field, a softball practice field, a soccer field, seven tennis courts, an outdoor basketball court, and a field house.

Tucker & Associates also visited with many of the sports National Governing Bodies in the United States. Their report specifies the training requirements for many of these sports. An executive from USA Diving commented that if there were a high diving tower and facilities meeting Olympic standards in Guam or Saipan, this would be “a dream come true” for the U.S. Olympic diving team.

Moreover, the Softball World Championships Games will be held in Beijing in August 2006 and the Men’s Basketball Championships will be held in Japan in 2006. Both of these events will offer CNMI and Guam early opportunities to test their marketing ability to attract international sports teams for acclimating training prior to competition.

The study proposed that the CNMI and Guam target the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom as primary countries, with Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil as secondary marketing targets. Tucker & Associates made contact with all of the National Olympic Committees in these countries and made them aware of the feasibility study that was being conducted.

The study suggests that the next step the CNMI and Guam take is to establish an Intra-Marianas Olympic Authority to serve as a marketing agent and to serve as a single point of contact for NOCs and NGBs seeking information on what assets CNMI or Guam have to serve their 2008 training needs.

Tucker said he also believes the IMOA, which he envisions consisting of public and private sector representatives, should be given authority by both governments to conduct negotiations with Olympics officials.

“Executives from the NOCs and NGBs will be traveling frequently to Beijing starting this year,” he said, “and we need to move quickly to encourage them to add Guam and Saipan to their travel itineraries in order to review available sports facilities and accommodations in the islands. Decisions on where NGBs will locate for acclimating training prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympics will be made starting later this year.

The Tucker & Associates Feasibility Study outlines the following benefits of attracting Olympic athletes to the CNMI and Guam for acclimating training prior to the 2008 Olympics:

-Revenue generated while the Olympians are training, bringing along their coaches, staff and family members, as well as media. Olympians training will also attract a certain number of spectators interested in seeing world-class athletes perform. This will generate additional revenue and benefit local athletes and coaches. Hotels, restaurants airlines, shops, etc. will be the primary beneficiaries of this increased revenue.

-Media exposure from countries training there will focus global attention on the training sites through print media, TV, and radio.

-The fact that Olympians trained at a certain sports facility and location can be used in subsequent marketing material and if an individual Olympian or team wins a medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the impact of the marketing material can become even more significant.

-Provide a powerful marketing and public relations tool to attract regional and international sporting events to the CNMI and Guam.

-Olympic coaches can sometimes be persuaded to give coaching clinics to local coaches.

-Focus attention on CNMI and Guam as sports tourism destinations.

-Expose local athletes to the rigorous training that Olympians go through and therefore motivate local athletes to higher performance levels.

-Upgrading of many sporting facilities for local use following the departure of Olympic athletes.

-Some NGBs such as USA Basketball, USA Soccer, and USA Swimming will be interested in scrimmaging and putting on exhibitions with other teams. This could be arranged with Japan and Korea in the area, and other teams that might be training in the region.

Gov. Babauta said his staff would be making contact with Gov. Camacho’s staff to discuss the next steps towards implementing the study’s recommendations. (PR)