Football will make up the most number of athletes for Team CNMI. Photo: Supplied
Over 100 CNMI athletes for Honiara Games
The Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) will be sending over 100 athletes and will compete in 10 sports in the 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara.
Football will make up the most number of athletes for Team CNMI with 30 - 15 men and 15 women.
Va'a has the second most with 16, followed by swimming with 15. Golf and athletics will have seven each, while weightlifting has six.
Tennis is made up of five netters with beach volleyball sending four, including two alternates. Bodybuilding has two athletes and triathlon will sending one.
Team NMI will descend to the Solomons via a charter flight paid for by corporate sponsors Joeten Daidai Foundation, Triple J Saipan, and IT&E/IP&E who donated $10,000 each.
The charter flight is a great development for Team NMI as it's the first time they will be flying this way to a regional competition.
The importance of having a charter flight instead of using a commercial flight is the cut in cost and time needed for travel.
Airfare per passenger in the charter flight to the Solomons is $1,600 compared to between $3,500 and $4,000 in a commercial flight. Also, travel time via charter is just a little over four hours, while commercial takes 50 to 55 hours with at least three stops and two overnight stays.
Palau reps to Pacific Games
Palau will be sending representatives of nine sports to the Pacific Games.
The Island Times reports the final cut for the team has been completed, and the total number of Team Palau athletes, coaches and officials is close to one hundred.
Palau will be represented in sports including athletics, archery, beach volleyball, va'a canoe/kayak and swimming.
Double Olympic weightlifting gold medallist Shu-Ching Hsu has been providing training to Palau's weightlifting team.
Tahiti protest
Teahupo'o locals in Tahiti are protesting the construction of a new aluminium judging tower that will be used in the 2024 Olympic Games.
Teahupo'o is the venue for the Games' surfing competition.
Protesters say the new judging tower will destroy the reef which provides fish for the local community and could ruin the famous wave.
Protesters included local pro-surfers Matahi Drollet and Tahurai Henry.
Moana Pasifika re-sign
Moana Pasifika has announced forwards Solomone Funaki and Alamanda Motuga have re-signed for the 2024 season.
Funaki received 'Moana Man of the Year', the club's top award, last season.
He was also named the team's best defender, finishing the season with 173 made tackles, at a 95 per cent success rate.
Motuga has made 12 appearances for Moana Pasifika.
In 2023 he made his presence known as an openside flanker as he combined an 85 per cent tackle success rate with a 55 per cent gain line success rate.