Previous Story
Ada Gym burglarized, new laptop missing
|
Posted on Apr 12 2009
The Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium was burglarized yesterday morning, prompting a sports official to appeal for public and private support on the immediate major repairs of the facility.
The Ada gym is one of the venues for the 2009 FIBA Oceania Basketball Tournament, which will be held in June. The other venue is the Marianas High School Gymnasium.
Gabriel White of Basketball Association of Northern Mariana Islands said the incident on Easter Sunday should be a wake-up call to the CNMI government and other concerned parties, as the Ada gym seriously needs attention with the Commonwealth about three months away from hosting a regional event
In October last year, FIBA Oceania secretary general Steve Smith made an ocular inspection on the gym, which according to him did not meet the standard for hosting a tournament as big as the Oceania caging. The Oceania tournament will bring teams from Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Fiji, Tahiti, Guam, and Palau to Saipan.
Smith then recommended that the facility had to undergo a major repair before it can host games in the Oceania caging.
Since the last quarter of 2009, BANMI has been coordinating with private and public sectors to seek funding for the repairs, but has been getting slow responses. The association and the local organizing committee are hoping to start major works for the repairs before the month ends.
Now, after the burglary, organizers are appealing for an immediate response, as the Ada gym will be the main headquarters for the Oceania caging.
Police are still investigating the incident, but according to White, the break-in happened at the administrative office at the main entrance of the gym.
“ The individual (s) who did this ripped off the payphone cord from the payphone in the main entrance, used it to break the glass window of the trophy case, and forced their way into the office of Elias Rangamar,” White said.
Rangamar works for the Division of Sports and Recreation and is also BANMI’s president.
White added, the burglars took a brand new laptop Rep. Ed Salas donated last week for BANMI’s administrative use.
