{"id":371348,"date":"2022-06-28T06:02:01","date_gmt":"2022-06-27T20:02:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=371348"},"modified":"2022-06-28T06:02:01","modified_gmt":"2022-06-27T20:02:01","slug":"blas-fitting-onoc-celebrated-olympic-day-during-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/blas-fitting-onoc-celebrated-olympic-day-during-games\/","title":{"rendered":"Blas: Fitting ONOC celebrated Olympic Day during Games"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a>
Oceania National Olympic Committees\u2019 Voice of the Athletes group promotes Olympic Day at the va\u2019a competition of the Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games 2022 near the 13 Fishermen Monument in Garapan. (CONTRUBUTED PHOTO)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Oceania National Olympic Committees secretary general Ricardo Blas said it\u2019s befitting that ONOC marked Olympic Day last June 23 at the Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games 2022 on Saipan.<\/p>\n

\u201cOlympic Day is a celebration of sport and more particularly the advancement of programmes for athletes, as directed by the International Olympic Committee,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Speaking from the 11th staging of the quadrennial event in the capital island of the CNMI, Blas said that Olympic Day represents a day for athletes around the world, by honoring those (athletes) who have committed themselves to the success of the global sporting community.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd with this year\u2019s theme of \u2018Move for Peace\u2019 we remember the Ukrainian athletes who continue to face challenges under a lot of undue pressure,\u201d Blas said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what a tribute this is, to mark today pn Saipan for the Pacific Mini Games where we are still celebrating the sports movement in a tiny Pacific Island in the north.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blas also said the Games demonstrates the resilience of Oceania in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe enjoyed the Tokyo Olympic Games last year on a minimum standard to safeguard the athletes and the Japanese community.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the Olympic movement has remained stronger together with good leadership and called on everyone to join the movement in whatever form or way to promote sports and the role of sports in advocating peace.<\/p>\n

Reflections on the Pacific Mini Games<\/strong>
\nOceania is represented by 17 Olympic countries and six associate members so Blas said ONOC\u2019s support\u00a0 last week has been through the National Olympic Committees\u2019 participation here.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir presence elevates the competition as well as the delivery level of the event,\u201d Blas said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt also exposes and promotes a country\u00a0 like the CNMI to the rest of the world,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

There are also continuing discussions between ONOC and the Pacific Games Council on the joint delivery of the Pacific Games in Oceania.<\/p>\n

Blas also had this message to the athletes of the Games:<\/p>\n

\u201cYou came, you endured, you showed strength and to those standing on the podiums, never forget those that are not on the podium with you\u2014and that had contributed to your success.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also extended his best wishes to everyone as they start their journey home soon.<\/p>\n

Blas encouraged them to keep training hard as they\u2019ve got a year and six months left before they all meet in Honiara (2023) and soon after that Palau (in 2025) and also Tahiti (in 2027).<\/p>\n

\u201cWe continue to encourage all the NOCs and Associate Members to focus on their development programmes and also their athletes,\u201d Blas commented.<\/p>\n

Staff of the ONOC Secretariat in Suva, Fiji, celebrated Olympic Day with a zumba session and a 2.5-kilometer walk last June 22. (PR)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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