Micro Games venues confirmed

With the Micronesian Games Organizing Committee on track preparing for the hosting of between 1,200 to 1,500 athletes from around the region, venues for various sports have already been confirmed.

The Oleai Sports Complex track and field oval will be used for athletics, which will be held from June 24 to June 28. Events will be scheduled between 6pm to 10pm and Northern Marianas Athletics coaches’ director Elias Rangamar will serve as tournament director.

Baseball will be played at the Francisco M. Palacios Baseball Field from June 24 to July 1, with games beginning at 10am and concluding at 10pm. Ray Brown of the Baseball Confederation of Oceania will serve as tournament director.

Basketball will be held at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium from June 24 to July 1, with games beginning at 9am and ending at 9pm.

Hyatt Regency Saipan and Fiesta Resort and Spa will host the beach volleyball action, which will be played from June 26 to June 29, with Jon Cramer serving as tournament director, while Ed Johnson serves as director of canoeing, which will be held at the waters off Kilili Beach.

For their part, golfers will have to tackle the courses at the Laolao Bay Golf Resort and Coral Ocean Point Golf Resort from June 27 to July 1, with Jess Wabol serving as tournament director, while Taula Peter heads the indoor volleyball action, which will be held at the Northern Marianas College Gymnasium from June 24 to July 1.

The two-day Micronesian All-Around will be held at the Civic Center from June 24 to June 25, fast pitch and slow pitch softball will be headed by Saipan Softball Association president Ray Palacios. Fast pitch action will be played at the Tan Ge Softball Field, while the slow pitch scene will be at the Capitol Hill and Dan Dan fields from June 24 to July 1.

Swimming will be at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool from June 24 to June 28 and at the PIC lagoon on June 29 for the 5K Ocean Swim and will be headed by Saipan Swim Club coach Mike Stewart, while table tennis and wrestling will be at the Marianas High School Gymnasium, with ping pong played from June 26 to June 30 and wrestling on June 29 and June 30 with Joe Ocampo serving as tournament director.

Jeff Race heads the tennis action, which will be played at the Pacific Islands Club and Coral Ocean Point tennis courts from June 24 to July 1, while triathlon is headed by Dirk Sharer and will be held on June 27 beginning at Pau Pau Beach.

Underwater spearfishing will also be featured during the Games and will be held on June 26 and 27 from Naftan Point to Agingan Point.