Joeten Daidai Foundation officials and Northern Marianas Sports Association President Jerry Tan pose for a photo with the NMI athletes that will be compete in the 2023 Pacific Games from Nov. 19 to Dec. 2 in Honiara, the Solomon Islands.
Triple J officials and Northern Marianas Sports Association President Jerry Tan pose for a photo with the NMI athletes that will compete in the 2023 Pacific Games from Nov. 19 to Dec. 2 in Honiara, the Solomon Islands.
IT&E and IP&E officials and Northern Marianas Sports Association President Jerry Tan pose for a photo with the NMI athletes that will compete in the 2023 Pacific Games from Nov. 19 to Dec. 2 in Honiara, the Solomon Islands.
JOETEN Daidai Foundation, Triple J Saipan and IT&E/IP&E each presented a check of $10,000 on Friday at the Ada gym to help pay for the NMI delegation’s charter flight to Honiara, the Solomon Islands, which will host the 2023 Pacific Games from Nov. 19 to Dec. 2.
The airfare per passenger on a Solomon Airlines charter flight is $1,600 compared to between $3,500 and $4,000 on a commercial flight.
Moreover, travel time via a charter flight is a little over four hours one-way compared to a commercial flight’s 50 to 55 hours travel time with at least three stops and two overnight stays.
When NMI Chef De Mission Nick Gross went to the Solomons last year, he took a commercial flight to Guam where he stayed overnight, then flew to Manila, and then Australia overnight, before heading to the Solomons the next day. The other route is via Manila, Papua New Guinea and Australia.
In the history of the NMI’s participation in either the Mini or Pacific Games, every time the competition was held in the South Pacific, only a small NMI delegation was sent.
A charter flight will allow the NMI to send a big delegation to the 2023 Pacific Games.
Northern Marianas National Paddling Sports Federation President Justin Andrew said if not for the charter flight, there is no way the NMI could send a big Va’a team to the Solomons.
Variety learned that athletes, coaches, national federations, and the Northern Marianas Sports Association are also chipping in to cover the airfare for Team NMI.
Charter flight info
Departure from Saipan: Nov. 15, 8:10 p.m.
Arrival in the Solomons: Nov. 16, 1:25 a.m. (Solomons time)
Departure from the Solomons: Dec. 3, 5:25 p.m.
Arrival on Saipan: Dec. 3, 8:35 p.m.
More information about the sponsorships and the NMI delegation will be featured in Variety’s next edition.
