NMASA receives $100K for Palau Mini Games

The CNMI delegation to the South Pacific Mini Games in Palau next month can now heave a big sigh of relief after the government issued a check for $100,000 to the Northern Marianas Amateur Sports Association.

The check, according to NMASA president Mike White, was received Thursday.

White said the NMASA board would have a special meeting on Tuesday to discuss matters on how to use the appropriated funds.

Meanwhile, the latest financial update for the 10 sports set to represent the Commonwealth at the Games show that a total of $50,882.80 has been submitted to NMASA.

In order to be settled with required payments, each participating team must pay $800 per member. Teams that have already fulfilled their required payments are lawn tennis, beach volleyball, wrestling, and swimming.

The lawn tennis team comprises of six members and has submitted the $4,800 required of them, while beach volleyball has five members and has already completed its payments with $4,000 in their name.

Wrestling is sending two athletes and has paid $2,000 while swimming has 11 members and has already paid $8,800.

The CNMI will also send athletes in softball, baseball, athletics, outrigger canoeing, triathlon, and table tennis.

Table tennis, athletics, and triathlon are almost cleared with their financial obligations, with athletics needing just $1,400, table tennis needing just $600, and triathlon just $500.

The latest report indicates that table tennis will be sending four representatives for a total cost of $3,200. The team has already submitted $2,600.

Four members make up the athletics team, which has already submitted $1,800 of the $3,200 required, while triathlon is made up of five members and has already paid $3,500 of the $4,000 needed.

For its part, the baseball team comprises of 24 members and needs a total of $19,200 and has already submitted $10,000 for a balance of $9,200.

The canoe team is made up of 15 representatives for a total of $12,000 required and has paid $3,736.80 for a balance of $8,263.20.

Softball has the largest number of members with 40 and needs $23,154 to be complete after paying $8,846 of the $32,000 needed.

Another $800 was submitted to NMASA for media personnel.

The South Pacific Mini Games opens on July 25 and concludes on Aug. 4 and would featuring competitors from around the Pacific region including New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Fiji, American Samoa, Niue, Tonga, Vanuatu, Kiribati, Norfolk Islands, Samoa, Wallis & Fatuna, Solomon Islands, Guam, CNMI, Marshall Islands, and host Republic of Palau.