despite the

Sport

It’s all fun despite the shaky start

By Barbara Ray

CLOSING ceremonies of the Micro nesian Games on April 2 on Guam capped a week of friendly competition among island neighbours. Host island Guam negotiated a handful of protests and some rainy weather to co-ordinate one week of ongoing sport among the Micronesian islands of Chuuk, Kosrae, Guam, the Marshalls, Nauru, Palau, Pohnpei, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands.

Guam had pinned its hopes on these fames in its April bid to host the 1999 outh Pacific Games, wishing to van quish with a seamless performance its embarrassing 1975 hosting debut. De spite a shaky start that included con struction delays, a controversy surround ing media coverage, the last-minute pullout of Yap, and a shortage of coconuts, the games came off without a hitch.

The island held its breath over the snail-paced construction of Guam’s new all-weather track. Finishing touches were added just days before the athletes began arriving. And then there were the coconuts, or better, then there weren’t the coconuts. A shortage of coconuts on Guam this year, due to a combination of disease, typhoons, and a high market price left the Micronesian all-around competition wanting of nuts to husk and grate. Residents were finally called on to bring a coconut to the opening ceremon ies. The disputes, mostly in the canoe races, were settled island style. The outrigger protests of interference and illegal lane infractions stemmed from differing island traditions of canoe rac ing. Each island was instructed to follow its own traditions in canoe design and build. Team Guam’s rudder was contro versial from the start, offering great advantage in turnings, but deemed “traditional” by the judges.

Pohnpei’s superior canoe benefited the team with the gold in the men’s relays and would have aided them in a men’s doubles gold, but an upheld protest stripped them of their sweep. The Pohnpei women’s doubles sacrificed a two-length lead when they capsized, giving the gold to Guam. In overall team J joints, Pohnpei ended with the gold, bllowed by Guam with the silver and Palau with the bronze for the men. In women’s action, Guam captured the

gold, followed by Pohnpei, with Palau taking the bronze.

Another dispute at the Micronesian all-around was settled with less fanfare when coaches and island representatives gathered around a picnic table to hammer out a mutual decision. After much discussion, the protester and the accused shook hands on the compromise.

The Pohnpei team and its fans must surely take the prize for most fun had.

They could be heard singing spiritedly in the baseball stands, cheering and laugh ing at the beach, dancing their victory dance at ringside everywhere. The entire week was filled with fiesta and sport, with athletes solidifying friendships and fans joining together over a meal.

If one was searching for the history of Micronesia, it could be found in the range of sports on display. The colonial influence was surely evident in lawn tennis, and the American presence shone through in baseball and basketball. The Micronesians’ own culture was evident in the tree-climbing, swimming, coconut husking, underwater spearfishing, and outrigger canoeing. Finally, the global ism of the games was seen in the track and field, table tennis, and volleyball.

Other sports included weight-lifting, wrestling, and softball.

As the teams filed past during opening night ceremonies, one couldn’t help notice the small contingent from Austra lia, representing the Baseball Confeder ation of Oceania. The 17-member base ball team, looking auite natty in their khaki shorts and bush hats, was cheered wildly by the crowd in anticipation of the baseball face-off between Guam and Australia.

Guam dominated the baseball compe titions among the islands, arriving 3-0 at the exhibition tournament against the also undefeated Australians. The Austra lians all appeared to have nearly six inches on each Guam player, and warm ups for the standing-room-only crowd looked impressive. First inning saw four Australians up to bat and one run. It

looked like Guam was in for an attitude check. But the Guam team, facing a rattled pitcher, took command with solid hitting and aggressive base running to end the inning ahead 4-1. Team Guam never looked back, and ended play with a score of 8-4. Guam would go on to take the gold in baseball in the games, with the Northern Marianas taking silver and Palau, bronze.

Closer to island sport, Palau took half the medals in the Micronesian all around, winning gold in both the men and women’s competitions. The sport included spearfishing, diving for objects, coconut husking and grating, swimming and tree climbing. Accumulation of Roints was the goal, and Palau’s Igirapatutang Ldsel finished in the lead with 481, followed closely by Rosendo Skang of the Northern Marianas Islands with 479. Pohnpei’s two participants tied for the bronze. The Palaun women also had a good showing, with Julita Belibei edging out teammate Burang Skang 484 to 483. Pohnpei’s Leonida Hades won the silver with 481 points.

Probably the most exciting event for the crowd and the most gruelling for the athletes was the coconut tree climbing.

Five trees beckoned the players, and all scaled the first three with ease. However, by the fourth tree, fatigue was evident.

Things became comical by the fifth.

Putting the rest to shame was the Northern Marianas J. Wilson, who scaled each tree in under 15 seconds.

Tiring only slightly by the fifth tree, he scurried up, paused at the top, and to an amazed and cheering audience, turned himself upside down and descended head first.

The games ended on a rainy Saturday, April 2, with the total medal count favouring Guam with 111, followed by Northern Marianas with 78, Palau with 59, the Marshalls 47, Pohnpei 25, Nauru 18, Kosrae 4, and Chuuk 4. Gold medal tallies were Guam with 56, Palau 17, Marshalls 16, Northern Marianas 14, Nauru 9, and Pohnpei 6. Neither Kosrae or Chuuk took home any golds. □

Terry Troxell

Opening ceremony: Nauru and Palau line up before the games