By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

NORTHERN Marianas Amateur Sports Association president Michael White submitted a proposed amendment to the Pacific Games Charter regarding eligibility rules when he was in Samoa to attend the chef de mission meeting two weeks ago.
“The proposed amendment would allow anyone who competed for a country or territory at previous SPGs or Mini Games to compete for that country or territory in the future, not withstanding the new eligibility rules,” White said in an email to the Variety yesterday.
During the Mini Games in Palau in 2005, the Pacific Games Council released a new ruling allowing only US citizens or citizens of the islands/nations they are representing to participate in the 2007 South Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa
Several island-nations will be affected by the new eligibility rules, as they have athletes who are non-US citizens but are long-time residents of their islands.
In the NMI, tennis’ Kana Aikawa, who played for the commonwealth in the 2005 Mini Games, was disqualified for the SPG. She holds Canadian and Japanese passports, but honed her tennis skills in the NMI for more than a decade.
White said he submitted the proposed amendment to Pacific Games Council secretary general James Tobin of the Federated States of Micronesia.
“The Pacific Games Charter required that proposed amendments to the Charter be submitted to the secretary general, in writing, at least 90 days before the next meeting of the Council,” White said.
The next Council meeting is set for Sept. 2.
“The Charter requires that the proposed amendment be circulated to the other countries and territories prior to the Council meeting. If it obtains sufficient preliminary support, it will be placed on the agenda for consideration at the meeting. It requires a 2/3 majority for adoption,” he added.
White attended the chef de mission meeting from March 17 to 19 and although he refused to discuss the details of the meeting, he said it dealt with logistic issues related to the SPG, such as sports facilities, lodging, transportation and the likes.
White during the NMASA meeting earlier this month did not anticipate the NMI would have much of a problem related to the SPG accommodations, as the island will be sending a lean delegation.
Only tennis, beach volleyball, athletics, golf and sailing are sending athletes to SPG, which will run from Aug. 25 to Sept. 8
Thirty sports are lined up at the quadrennial meet. These are archery, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, beach volleyball, bodybuilding, boxing, cricket, football, golf, hockey, judo, lawn bowls, netball, powerlifting, rugby 7’s, rugby 9’s, sailing, shooting, softball, squash, surfing, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, touch rugby, triathlon, va’a, volleyball, wrestling and weightlifting.
The final number of athletes and officials going to Samoa will not be known until July 31.
On the Samoa SPG website, the entries by names must be confirmed by May 27. The deadline for the posting of entries by names is set for June 11. Questions on the eligibility of athletes must be raised before July 6. On July 31, the final entries by names will be posted on the Samoa SPG website.
The National University of Samoa and the Institute of Technology (formerly Samoa Polytechnic), which are both located at Vaivase-tai in Apia, will house the athletes and officials. The Athletes Village will open on Aug. 22.
The opening ceremony will be held at the Apia Park Sports Complex, which houses the Apia Park Stadium, gymnasium, lawn bowl greens, netball stadium and tennis courts.
Other venues are located in the Faleata Sports Complex, Fagalii, Faleolo and Savaii.