Technical delegate for triathlon appointed

Stephen Damien, right, has been appointed by World Triathlon to serve as technical delegate for the triathlon event at the 2022 Mini Pacific Games in CNMI. (Contributed Photo)

Papua New Guinea’s Stephen Damien has been appointed the technical delegate for the triathlon event at the 2022 Mini Pacific Games in the CNMI.

Oceania Triathlon Union continental development coordinator Phil Dally announced Damien’s appointment by World Triathlon in an email to Pacific Games Council chief executive officer Andrew Minogue.

“We are particularly pleased as Stephen first became involved as part of the PNG team when Port Moresby hosted the Pacific Games in 2015 and was a highly valued member of the technical team at the 2019 Pacific Games in Samoa,” read Dally’s email.

Dally added that Damien’s appointment comes in step with the Oceania Triathlon Union’s efforts to have homegrown officials help oversee competitions in regional events.

“A great example to other members of the national federations in the Oceania Region and meets one of the goals that Oceania has worked toward, to have internationally accredited and recognized technical officials from the Pacific nations,” he said.

Triathlon Association of the CNMI secretary general Ricky Castro, meanwhile, welcomed Damien’s appointment to help oversee the CNMI’s hosting of the triathlon event for next year’s Pacific Mini Games, which marks the islands’ first-ever hosting of the quadrennial event.

“Let’s welcome our new member: Stephen Damien from PNG, the technical delegate for the triathlon events at the 2022 Pacific Mini Games in the CNMI,” wrote Castro in a message to TRAC’s members on social media.

For his part, Damien said he’s absolutely delighted with the appointment. “I’m looking forward to working with the CNMI in hosting this event. I hope to impart my knowledge and skills with the triathlon community there and also pick up any experience there as well.”

He added that it’s not the first time he will be working with the sport of triathlon in the CNMI even though he has yet to visit the U.S. territory.

“I worked with the CNMI triathlon community in the past through the Pacific Islands Triathlon & Cycling Championships. I don’t know if some of these officials are still there. If not, I’m looking forward to making new friends there.”

Damien has been organizing triathlon events since the mid 2000s with his first Pacific Games technical duties happening in the 2009 Pacific Mini Games in Cook Islands.

“I’ve since worked as technical delegate in the 2011 Pacific Games in Noumea, sports competition manager for the triathlon in the 2015 Pacific Games in PNG, and chief race official during the 2019 Pacific Games in Samoa,” he said.

Damien added that he also officiated in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and other International Triathlon Union races in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom as well as organized smaller regional triathlon and cycling events in PNG in addition to taking PNG triathlon teams to Fiji, Guam, and Australia.

“I’m confident the CNMI will have a strong pool of triathlon organizers. This should make organizing the triathlon event easy. Hopefully I can share my experience and knowledge with the team and theirs with me. I’m confident we can host a great triathlon event,” he said.

TRAC president Manny Sitchon said it’s usual protocol to send a technical delegate for regional events like the Mini Games next year and that he’s happy that World Triathlon this early appointed Damien to the post.