2008 Oceania Championships formally begins

The 2008 Oceania Championships held its opening ceremony last night with local officials and VIPs from the regional athletics federation welcoming athletes at the American Memorial Park amphitheater.

Acting Gov. Timothy P. Villagomez said it was indeed an honor for the CNMI to have been selected to host the area championships.

“It has been an exciting week already with the recently concluded Oceania Grand Prix. Sports pages of our local newspapers have been filled with your exploits and the local community—athletes or not—have been caught up with the excitement of the event.”

Villagomez commended the athletes for their passion and thanked the Oceania Athletics Association for granting the CNMI the opportunity to host the 2008 Oceania Championships.

OAA representative to the International Association of Athletics Federations, Bill Bailey, told the athletes not to take for granted their participation in events like the 2008 Oceania Championships.

“You’ve been selected for a great honor and that honor is to represent your home country. Treat that honor with the respect that it deserves. Compete with passion but compete with friendship.”

Bailey also thanked IAAF for contributing $500,000 for the staging of the 2008 Oceania Championships.

OAA president Geoff Gardner, for his part, welcomed Tuvalu and New Caledonia to the event.

He said the 2008 Oceania Championships is Tuvalu’s first appearance in the area championships and added that shortly after the competition, the island nation will take part in its first Olympics this summer in Beijing.

New Caledonia, for its part, according to Gardner was recently endorsed to become an associate member of the OAA.

“No longer will it be chocolate medals for New Caledonia as they will be eligible to win the real thing this time.”

He also reiterated what OAA executive director Yvonne Mullins earlier said that the French territory has been awarded the 2010 Grand Prix Championships and the 2010 under-18 Championships during the council meeting Tuesday.

Gardner also took time to congratulate the CNMI for what is shaping up to be a memorable 2008 Oceania Championships.

“I’m very pleased to report that we are extremely impressed with the effort, enthusiasm, and professionalism of the CNMI athletics association (Northern Marianas Athletics) in putting together this event. They have come ahead by leaps and bounds and it’s a tremendous credit to them.”

He also tipped his hat to NMA officials Robin Sapong and Elias Rangamar and organizing committee chairman Rep. Ramon Tebuteb for a job well done in hosting the Championships.

Tebuteb also had his time on the podium and reflected on the value of sports and competition among the people of Oceania.

“It is within the spirit of positive gamemanship that bounds our people in our regions. It is our ambassadorial pillars. Once such pillar is the IAAF and part of that is our OAA. We all should be proud of our athletics family. It is the primal sports of all-time. Our foundations are our athletes, sponsors, technical officials, and our volunteers,” he said.

The 2008 Oceania Championships’ competition kicks off today with 47 events lined up beginning at 1pm at the Oleai Track and Field.