Seven NMI athletes and two officials will participate in the athletics event in the 2025 Pacific Mini Games in Palau from July 4 to 9, 2025.
NMSA photos
(NMA) — The Northern Marianas Athletics is sending a lean team with good medal chances in the 2025 Pacific Mini Games, which will be held in Palau from June 29 to July 9, 2025.
Leading the squad is runner and Pacific Games 5,000m record holder Tania Tan and she will be joined in Palau by Maria Quitugua, Kaithlyn Chavez, Victor Nash Santos, Theodore Rodgers, Simon Tang, and Lyle Andrew. The athletics competition in the Pacific Mini Games will run from July 4 to 9, 2025 at the Palau National Track and Field.
“We have only a few athletes going to Palau, but these are the competitive ones. They either have good chances to medal for the NMI or make it to the finals of their respective events,” said Rep. Elias Rangamar, who coaches the team while they are training locally. In Palau, the squad will be joined by coaches Zarinae Sapong and Ron Olopai.
“We have high hopes on Tania making it to the medal podium again after her impressive performances in the 2023 Pacific Mini Games in Solomon Islands and the 2024 Micronesian Games in the Micronesian Games. We also have Maria and Lyle who won medals in Majuro last year, while the rest of the team have also continued to show significant improvements in their discipline,” Rangamar added.
Tan is entered in the 5,000m, 10,000m, and half marathon race, while Quitugua, who won gold in javelin throw in Micro Games, will do the same event as well as the 100m run. Andrew, who got the gold in hammer throw in Majuro, will also compete in similar event and in the discus and shotput. Chavez will race in the 800m and 1,500m runs, while Santos is doing three events — 1,500m, 5,000m, and 10,000m races. Tang is entered in the 110m and 400m hurdles.
Tan welcomed the high expectations from her and sees this as an opportunity to help bring more people in the sport.
“I don’t feel pressured because I know everyone has been training hard and I won’t be surprised if there are women who have improved a lot these past 1.5-2 years just like how I did. If I was able to do it, anyone can, and it will only help our sport continue to grow and inspire the younger generations,” Tan said.
“Pressure is a privilege so I feel honored that this time around, I will be the one to look out for. All we could do on race day is to just go out there and do our bests so that is what I’m going to do in Palau, whatever the result may be,” the NMI 5K and 10K record holder added.
Out of the Pacific Games Council’s 24 member-countries, 20 have entries in athletics, including associate member Australia, which is sending 21 athletes to Palau.
“This is a very good experience for our team to compete against Australia, PNG, and other strong teams in the region, and we are confident they will be able to perform well against them,” Rangamar said.
The NMI Athletics Team is part of the 161-delegation Team Marianas, whose participation in the 2025 Pacific Mini Games is supported by the Office of the Governor, Saipan & Northern Islands Legislative Delegation, Joeten Daidai Foundation, ASC Trust, Triple J, Tan Holdings, Altanx, Quality Distributors, IT&E, Mobil, McDonald’s, IT&E, Chinese Association on Saipan, GPPC, Marianas Press, Matson’s, LaoLao Bay Golf & Resort, Dial-Rent-To-Own, NMI Local Peace Corps Reunion Committee, Y.K. Corporation, Shell/AFE Marianas, LLC, Wushin, I Love Saipan, BC Corporation, and Artman.
