Load shedding cancels games at Oleai

Basketball games and badminton practices at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium have been cancelled for the rest of the week because of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.’s load shedding schedule.

Another casualty of power outages at the Oleai Sports Complex is the scheduled monthly meeting of the Northern Marianas Amateur Sports Association.

According to Basketball Association of the Northern Mariana Islands president Elias Rangamar, the 2008 PTI Inter-Government/Business League has cancelled its six scheduled games this week because of the load shedding schedule, which runs from 6pm to 8pm.

Cancelled games last Monday were the matches pitting Tinian Bombers and Department of Public Safety in the first game and the second game between Northern Marianas College and Department of Corrections.

Scheduled games postponed today are the games between Legislature and host PTI and Tinian Bombers and Division of Public Works/Procurement & Supply, while Friday’s matches put on the shelf are between Department of Community and Cultural Affairs and Aguaguat and DOC and Commonwealth Ports Authority.

The Northern Marianas Badminton Federation also cancelled its weekday practices for the rest of the week due to the scheduled power shedding. The local badminton body usually holds its practices on Tuesday and Thursday nights—or evenings when there are no basketball schedule.

The June monthly membership meeting of NMASA set for tomorrow, June 5, has also been postponed to next Thursday.

According to NMASA president Michael White, the NMASA meeting will now be set on June 12, 7pm at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

While BANMI, NMBF, and NMASA were forced to rework their schedule because of the load shedding, the 2008 Budweiser Saipan Major League just decided to start their games a little later.

According to chief statistician Joe Lizama, SML president Tony Rogolifoi told him that games are now set at 8pm.

Monday’s game between Ford Rangers (6-3) and O’Connor Tigers (1-8) was played last night, while Rock Steady stakes its perfect 9-0 mark this evening against the surging Tanapag Falcons (6-3) at the Francisco M. Palacios Baseball Field.

Koreans Dreams (5-5), meanwhile, try to bounce back from its 9-10 setback to the Falcons last May 30 when it takes on Kabur (2-8) this coming Friday.