{"id":295669,"date":"2019-03-18T06:06:36","date_gmt":"2019-03-17T20:06:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=295669"},"modified":"2019-03-18T06:06:36","modified_gmt":"2019-03-17T20:06:36","slug":"govt-withdraws-support-for-mini-games-hosting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/govt-withdraws-support-for-mini-games-hosting\/","title":{"rendered":"Govt withdraws support for Mini Games hosting"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Oleai Sports Complex fence was left in shambles after Super Typhoon Yutu hit Saipan last year, while the Francisco \u201cTan Ko\u201d Palacios Ballfield also sustained massive damage from the Category 5 storm. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The CNMI government has withdrawn its commitment to support Saipan\u2019s hosting of the 2021 Pacific Mini Games.<\/p>\n

Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, in a letter sent to Northern Marianas Sports Association president Michael A. White last week, regretfully informed NMSA that the withdrawal is largely in part of the destruction brought by Yutu. Saipan Tribune tried to get comments from White, but he has yet to respond as of press time.<\/p>\n

The CNMI is in recovery mode with Yutu wreaking havoc not only to houses, but also to business and other commercial establishments, gravely affecting the Commonwealth\u2019s revenues.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs you know, Super Typhoon Yutu caused major damage to homes, businesses, and our islands\u2019 recreational facilities, while displacing many of our residents. Damage assessments indicate that the recovery period will continue for the next three years at least. However, with the low supply of construction workers to rebuild our homes and facilities, the recovery may take even longer,\u201d Torres said in his letter to White.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter conducting a preliminary assessment of our islands\u2019 recreational and athletic facilities, as well as having conversations with you, the NMSA, and community sports leaders, we do not reasonably believe that we can host the 2021 Pacific Mini Games to the standards mandated by the Pacific Games Council.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Category 5 storm ripped apart the island\u2019s major sports facilities. The Oleai Sports Complex, the proposed main hub of the Games, needs major repairs to its facilities, including the Francisco \u201cTan Ko\u201d M. Palacios Baseball Field, Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium, Miguel \u201cTan Ge\u201d Basa Pangelinan Softball Field, and the fence around the track and field oval and the complex itself.<\/p>\n

Business activities on the islands also stood to almost a standstill, as hotels received cancellations from tourists in the CNMI\u2019s main markets in China and South Korea. Inbound flights were temporarily halted, too with the Air Traffic Control Tower and other facilities at the Francisco C. Ada\/Saipan International Airport also suffered extensive damage.<\/p>\n

Acting Department of Finance secretary David DLG Atalig provided proof of the slow economic activity when he informed Torres that there would be a 4.7-percent projected shortfall in revenues.<\/p>\n

When the CNMI, through NMSA, submitted a bid to host the 2021 Mini Games, its proposal included the estimated costs ($1,160,000) of holding the event on Saipan and the government may be asked to fork out $250,000, while the rest will come from participation fees from the 22 nations and private sector sponsorships.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Torres said the decision to withdraw the government support for the hosting of Mini Game was disappointing since the CNMI will lose the opportunity of being the only second Micronesian nation to host the Mini Games (after Palau in 2005). <\/p>\n

The governor acknowledged that the Games does not only promote the spirit of athletic competition but also brings together the people from different islands in the Pacific. <\/p>\n

\u201cTo [also] promote a healthy lifestyle through the celebration of sports and the human spirit. I wholeheartedly support the [PGC\u2019s] goals and believe that this event is a great way of fostering our youth to be more active and engaged in athletics. Sports, and in particular athletics, provide opportunities for competitors and spectators alike. It unifies different cultures and backgrounds around a shared sense of human achievement, and it motivates people to better themselves physically, mentally, and spiritually,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Torres added that Yutu was really an unfortunate timing for the CNMI, but he assured that his administration remains committed to NMSA\u2019s future plans. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the impact that sports and athletics have on a community and a region is profound, the unfortunate timing of Super Typhoon Yutu has shifted our community\u2019s focus to recovery and rebuilding. It is our hope that the CNMI can host the Games in the future, when we can have stronger infrastructure, upgraded athletic facilities, and better accommodations for our athletes and their families. I look forward to working with you and our community sports partners on the future plans of CNMI sports and athletic promotion,\u201d Torres said.<\/p>\n

The CNMI government support is required in moving forward with the hosting of the Pacific Mini Games. With this latest development, it\u2019s now up to NMSA to inform the Pacific Games Council of Saipan\u2019s official withdrawal from the hosting of the quadrennial event.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The CNMI government has withdrawn its commitment to support Saipan\u2019s hosting of the 2021 Pacific…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":295670,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[17845],"class_list":["post-295669","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","tag-mini-games"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/295669","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/48"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=295669"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/295669\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/295670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=295669"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=295669"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=295669"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}