In photo: Northern Marianas Sports Association President Jerry Tan, Badminton Oceania CEO Julie Carrel, Northern Marianas Badminton Association President Merlie Tolentino, Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan General Manager Robert Coates, TakeCare Insurance Health Plan Manager Nora Ferejan, athletes Kevin Cordón of Guatemala, Gronya Somerville of Australia, Son Won Ho of South Korea, and the NMI’s Janelle Pangilinan at the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan on Monday.
Badminton Oceania CEO Julie Carrel conducts a media conference with Northern Marianas Sports Association President Jerry Tan and Northern Marianas Badminton Association President Merlie Tolentino on Monday at the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan.
THE NMI is only the fifth jurisdiction or country to host two Badminton World Federation tournaments, Badminton Oceania Chief Executive Officer Julie Carrel said during a press conference Monday at the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan.
“We’ve only ever had four other countries, and you are number five to host the tournaments, putting the Northern Mariana Islands on the map,” Carrel said. “It is a direct result of the Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games 2023 that we’re here. Because badminton was on the program, we got all the good equipment and a very good organizing team — Merlie and her team were fantastic, and it was very successful.”
When Carrel saw the opportunity for the NMI to host an international, she grabbed it. A year later, over 200 individuals, including 179 players, from 17 different countries and five continents, are here to play for the chance to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Northern Marianas Badminton Association President Merlie Tolentino expressed her gratitude for the selection of the NMI as host.
“This is a big deal for badminton here in the NMI,” she said. “We started in 2009. It was only for recreational purposes, and we never imagined that we would be hosting big tournaments. This is our first time hosting an Olympic qualifier. We really did not know what to expect but we’re here now and we’re embracing it, of course with the help of Badminton Oceania.”
She added, “This is something that our badminton association is proud to host.”
Last year, Carrel assisted Northern Marianas Sports Association President Jerry Tan in organizing and carrying out a very successful badminton tournament during the mini games.
“I still remember the conversation we had with Julie. ‘What about an international tournament?’ It was a good idea, but I never imagined it would really happen exactly a year later,” Tan said.
“This is a Paris 2024 Olympic qualifier and just to see some of these world-class players practicing here — we just really did not expect this to happen. I hope this is the beginning of many more international competitions across different sports,” he added.
The mini games successfully hosted by the NMI last year “made today possible,” Tan said. “This is why it is important to invest in our facilities and maintain them well — this is why Julie had the confidence to bring not just one, but two, tournaments to the NMI.”
Title sponsors
The title sponsors for the qualifying tournaments are Crown Plaza Resort Saipan and TakeCare Insurance.
Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan General Manager Robert Coates said hosting the tournaments is a perfect way to “relaunch” the island.
“Saipan has been through its challenges, and this is a great way to relaunch Saipan back into the international market with a great and exciting sports event. And not just any sports event, this is a really high-profile sports event with professional players qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. It’s great for the community and great for the local team here and we’re delighted to support the athletes. This is a fantastic event for the NMI,” he added.
TakeCare Insurance Health Plan Manager Nora Ferejan agreed. “This is something very momentous for the NMI. We are very grateful to all the organizers and volunteers. TakeCare is really honored to be a part of this event,” she said.
The other sponsors are IT&E, D&Q, GPPC, Tan Siu Lin Foundation (Platinum); Fanter, Marianas Visitors Authority, Marianas Variety, Saipan Computer Services-Ideal Sign, Hong Ye Construction (Gold); Island Apparel (Silver); Joeten Motors, Joeten Daidai Foundation, Traders Insurance, Cup BAB, Pacifica Insurance, Bridge Capital, Shirley’s Coffee Shop, Marpac, Northern Marianas Sports Association, Pepoy’s Restaurant, Sun Palace, Vickie Izuka, Saipan Ice, First Hawaiian Bank and JET Holdings.
