The CNMI’s Lia Rangamar, right, kicks the ball out as a Guam player reaches in for a steal during their game in the 2014 Micronesian Game in Pohnpei. The next Micro Games will be held in Yap in 2018. (Contributed Photo)
Preparations for Yap’s hosting of the 2018 Micronesian Games are moving forward as the state has appropriated more than $1 million for the quadrennial event.
Yap State Governor Tony Ganngyian early this month signed Bill No. 9-56, D2 into law (YSL 9-39), appropriating $1,371,210 from the General Fund of the State of Yap for Fiscal Year 2016 to fund the preparation for the 2018 Micronesian Games and other purposes.
Majority of the funds will be used for renovations of the sports facilities of Yap, while a small portion from the appropriation will be for marketing and awareness purposes.
The track and field facility received the biggest chunk from the allotment, as $606,250 will be used for its repairs. The Yap Sports Complex Gymnasium will also undergo a facelift for a cost of $239,920, while $273,250 is set for the repair works at the baseball field. The tennis courts will be upgraded, too and the state has allotted $184,550 for the facility.
As for the marketing/awareness budget, $10,000 has been appropriated for used by the marketing coordinator, $700 for community awareness, and $2,540 for neighboring islands meetings.
The 2018 Micronesian Games will take place from July 15 to 28 and will have 18 sports: athletics, baseball, 3×3 basketball, basketball, beach volleyball, indoor volleyball, Micro All-Around, paddling, soccer (men’s 11 aside and women’s 7 aside), softball (for women), spearfishing, swimming, table tennis, tennis, traditional sailing, weightlifting, and wrestling.
Majority of the events under the Micro Games calendar are being played in the CNMI and Northern Marianas Sports Association is encouraging interested local federations to prepare early, especially their fundraising activities.
In the 2014 Micronesian Games in Pohnpei, Team Marianas had a small delegation, competing only in athletics, weightlifting, swimming, canoe racing, baseball, spearfishing, and men’s and women’s basketball. The CNMI won 14 gold medals, 15 silvers, and five bronzes in the last edition of the Micro Games to rank sixth in the medal standings behind Guam (42-27-12), Pohnpei (36-41-37), Palau (36-31-38), Marshall Islands (34-23-33), and Yap (17-23-15) and ahead of Kosrae (4-3-11), Nauru (3-9-5), and Chuuk (3-4-9).
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