IN June 2023, the 4th edition of the Oceania Cup will be held on Saipan in the Northern Marianas. Previous editions have been hosted by Vanuatu, Samoa and Australia.
Following an audit of the facilities available in the region by the Oceania Athletics Association or OAA, the Oceania Athletics Council made the decision to hold the Oceania Cup instead of the regional championships.
The schedule takes into consideration all athletes and what events they are targeting. It is also in alignment with OAA’s strategic plan to give opportunities to athletes to attend world ranking meets and qualification opportunities within the area.
The Oceania Cup will provide an opportunity for athletes from across the area to access a world ranking meet.
The Oceania Cup format is being finalized and will feature teams from Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia, Australia, New Zealand, Regional Australia, the host member federation, and one other team.
These teams will be selected by the OAA Selection Committee, and will include at least one representative from each member federation. The teams will be selected based on the results from the past two years, and the best athlete in each event will be selected by their regional team.
Oleai Stadium on Saipan, the venue for the 2022 Pacific Mini Games, is currently the best facility in the Pacific. The local organizing committee and athletics federation demonstrated an outstanding ability in hosting the Mini Games, and OAA can’t wait to return to Saipan with the Oceania Cup.
“On behalf of the athletics family in the CNMI, we are excited to welcome back athletics to our island with this international competition,” NMI Athletics President Ramon Tebuteb said.
“The legacy that the Pacific Mini Games built has allowed the CNMI to host a competition of this caliber. We can’t wait to see high level athletics back on Saipan in 2023,” he added.
Oceania Athletics Executive Director Yvonne Mullins said they saw “what a terrific job the CNMI did with the Pacific Mini Games, and we want to capitalize on that and bring the Oceania Cup to the CNMI. The facility at Oleai Stadium is currently the best in the Pacific, but it’s not just the facility, but also the people who will be involved who will make the Oceania Cup on Saipan a success.”
The Oceania Cup is scheduled to take place on Saipan from June 22 to 24, 2023.
NMI Athletics’ Zarinae Sapong, Lia Rangamar, Tiana Cabrera and Tania Tan pose for a photo during the 2022 Pacific Mini Games on Saipan in June.
