Deadline for submitting ‘numbers’ for Mini Games this May

The 10 sports sending athletes to the 2005 South Pacific Mini Games in Palau have only until the end of May to finalize the size of their delegation to the quadrennial event.

Northern Marianas Amateur Sports Association president Michael White informed representatives from athletics, baseball, canoeing, softball, swimming, table tennis, tennis, triathlon, and wrestling about the deadline during the governing sports body’s monthly general membership meeting last Thursday.

“This is what Palau sent me, ‘The final deadline of submitting the number of athletes and coaches is two months before the opening of the Games, which is May 25, 2005.’ This is in the charter,” he said.

White, however, clarified that the deadline is for numbers and that federations could still shake up their rosters as long as it wouldn’t conflict with their travel arrangements with the airlines.

“You could change the number of people you previously sent to us. Last day to change this number is May 25, OK…. but the [deadline for] final names of people going is [actually] before the first spectacle meeting. In other words, transportation issues aside, if swimming, for example, tells us they’re sending 10 people, they could change the names right up to the time they get on the plane,” said White.

Former SPG secretary general and many-time NMASA head, Bill Sakovich, graced the monthly meeting and gave his 2 cents worth about deadlines and the need to book flights as soon as possible.

“I think the travel thing is key and I think it should’ve been something kind of addressed with Continental [Micronesia] before. If you got the money, go ahead and buy the tickets now. There could be a problem later on down the line [with Continental]. You know, with them squeezing extra flights to get other people down, [NMASA should buy as many tickets now] so we don’t have to suffer later,” he said.

Sakovich is in town for the recent 23rd Annual Micronesian Open and the upcoming 16th Tagaman Triathlon. He and his wife, Jean, lived on Saipan for more than 20 years before deciding to relocate to Hilo, Hawaii last year.

White seconded Sakovich’s advise and said that Guam’s international airport would be pretty busy in the lead up to the Palau Mini Games, as most nations participating in the quadrennial event would be routed from that hub.

He also said the earlier federations secure tickets, the better. “The reason we ask you for an earlier commitment was so that we could get everybody airline tickets.”

Of the 10 sports sending athletes to Palau, only five—athletics, baseball, tennis, swimming and triathlon—have remitted airfare payments to NMASA.

White also informed the 10 sports that a monetary fine awaits federations that pull out from the Mini Games. “If you withdraw from a sport you confirmed to us in January, which was the deadline, then in the charter you will pay a penalty of $1,000.”