The Canoe Association of Palau held their annual meeting on Thursday, May 31, at the Palau National Olympic Committee Office conference room.
The agenda of the general meeting included reporting of activities, financial statements of the association, reports of Coaches Tino Faatuuala and Assistant Coach Jimmy Jonas, and the overall development of canoe, including upcoming races in Micronesia and around the region.
The members also congratulated all the paddlers who have graduated from high school this year, and athlete members who are actively training for the upcoming Micronesian Games.
The Canoe Association also voted and elected new officers for two-year term for 2018-2020.
The new officers elected are Alonz Moses as President, Debbie Toribiong as Vice President, Pkngey Otobed as Secretary, Baklai Temengil as Treasurer, while the newly elected board members are Tino Faatuuala, Jimmy Jonas, Bill Tony, Nihla Reddin, Nikki Uehara and Marina Toribiong as the athlete representative.
The Canoe Association of Palau has been active in the sports of outrigger canoeing and has earned over 10 gold medals, silver medals and bronze medals in the past Micronesian Games, Micro Cup, and Pacific Games combined in the past years since 1998.
Canoeing also earned its first spot in the Olympic Games in Rio 2016 when Marina Toribiong was qualified to represent Palau in the 250m and 500m canoe/kayak race in Rio Olympic Games.
The Canoe Team also earned four gold medals, four silver medals and two bronze medals at the recent 2017 Micronesia Cup held in Guam. The Canoe Teams (men and women) with their respective Head Coach Tino Faatuuala is now at its final stages of training hard both in the water and land training with a target for going for all gold in Yap at the Micronesian Games this year.
The Canoe Association of Palau also extends appreciation to all sponsors, parents, families and friends of canoeing for all their continued support and commitment to Canoe programs. Also a big sincere appreciation to our Meyuns family for allowing us the safe space in Meyuns to host our canoe events and a space for all the canoes. All Canoe practices and programs are held at Meyuns Ramp every weekday from 5pm. (PR)