*Belau Games final preparation underway and all States ready to compete in more than 100 events in a total of 16 Sports. The current registered number of Athletes is over 1,600 athletes. The athletes range from ages 6years old to 60plus years old. For this year, there are many non-Palauans eligible to play in the Belau Games, in these games, there are athletes living in Palau who are citizens of about 21 different countries taking part in the Belau Games. The Belau Games Opening Ceremony is Friday June 30th at the Palau Track and Field at 4:30pm. The public and everyone are all invited to the opening ceremony of the Games.
In Team sports of Basketball, and with so many teams in the 3×3 and regular five side basketball for both men and women teams, the Basketball will start early, with the opening ceremony this Friday June 23rd at the Palau High School Gym and the first Game at 6:30pm Ngatpang vs. Ngiwal Men and 8pm Ngaraard vs. Hatohobei Women. The Teams events such as basketball, including Baseball starting on June 26th and Softball women fastpitch on 29th June, are starting earlier due to the need for more days, due to limited facilities and also in case of rain out days for games.
Today is also Olympic Day June 23rd with activities at the Track and Field from 430pm to 7pm. The Palau Olympians and Athletes Commission will be hosting the Olympic Day with a theme for the day of “LET’S MOVE”. The event is to encourage everyone to set at least 30minutes during the day to move or exercise. There will be carnival games, walk a mile, calling names, and tag of war games as well. Come and join the event and get a shirt or towel when you register and participate in the “LET’S MOVE” campaign and celebrate the Olympic Day.
In other sports news, Ignacio Blaluk – our Athlete and 2024 Scholarship holder to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games travelled to Saipan (CNMI) to join the Micronesia Team in Athletics to the Oceania Cup for track and field events. The Oceania Cup is scheduled for June 22 to 24 in Oleai Stadium, Saipan, CNMI. Ignacio will join other athletes from Kiribati, Nauru, FSM, Saipan and Guam and will represent Micronesia and will compete against athletes representing the region of Melanesia, Polynesia, Australia and New Zealand and regional Australia. This is the 4th edition of the Oceania Cup. This event provides an opportunity for athletes from across Oceania to access World Ranking Meet and the athletes are selected based on their best results in the past two years. Ignacio is Palau top athlete and preparing himself to qualify to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games as well as before that to go to the Pacific Games in Honiara Solomon Islands.