Press Release: Oceania Cup Entries

With less than a month to go to the Oceania Cup, Oceania Athletics and Local Organising Committee are pleased to announce the teams heading to Oleai Stadium in Saipan, Northern Marianas.

The Oceania Cup has been brought back into the Calendar in Oceania to align with the Oceania and World Athletics strategic plan to create inspiring competitions. The teams-based format is aimed to improve the performance standards and support the MF opportunity for qualification opportunities.

This will be the 4^th edition after previously being hosted by Vanuatu, Samoa and Australia. Oleai Stadium in Saipan was the venue for the 2022 Pacific Mini Games and is currently the best facility in the pacific. The local Organising Committee and Athletics Federation demonstrated an outstanding record in hosting major international competitions with the Mini Games.

Over 100 athletes will take part in the Oceania Cup, representing 6 teams from across the pacific. Oceania Athletics has selected teams representing each region of the pacific – Micronesia, Polynesia, and Melanesia, with the Northern Marianas and Australia the only two Federations having their own team. 

Robin Sapong – President Oceania Athletics, General Secretary Northern Marianas Athletics had the following to say about the Oceania Cup in Saipan. 

First and foremost, I would like to express my heartfelt Hafa Adai and Tirow to the people of Saipan and to those who will be travelling from far and wide for the Oceania Cup. 

The Oceania Cup being hosted in Saipan, is a fantastic legacy of the 2022 Pacific Mini Games. To be able to build on what took place in 2022 and put towards another international competition in 2023 shows the capabilities of the Local Organising Committee. 

The Competition, itself will be outstanding, with 12 Gold Medallist from 2022 Mini Games coming back to Saipan. The Oceania Cup also provides an opportunity to qualify for Budapest World Championships and Paris Olympics, with the same number of ranking points as the 2023 Pacific Games. 

The Micronesian Team will be headlined by Olympians Regine Tugade-Watson and Scott Fiti. The sprinters are both multiple representatives at World and Oceania Level multiple medallists at the Micronesian Games in 2018. 

The Melanesian Team will see a changing of the guard in the sprint ranks, with, Leroy Kamau and Leonie Beu, of PNG, with some fast times whilst in college in the USA securing their place on the Melanesian Team. 

The Polynesian Team sees Area Champion in the Shot Put, Atamaama Tuutafaiva leading the team. She has recently moved to Auckland to be coached by Oceania’s greatest athlete, Dame Valerie Adams, and will be looking for a strong showing in Saipan, to help to improve her World Ranking in the hopes of qualifying for the Budapest World Championships. World Championships representative for French Polynesia Herieti Bernardino will be the women’s sprints, whilst Olympian from Tuvalu Karalo Maibuca will be in the men’s sprints. 

The Australian team will see an emerging group of athletes make the journey to Saipan.  16 athletes, all will be representing their country for the first time at Oleai Stadium. 

The home team will be looking for the support they received in 2022 at the Pacific Mini Games, with the team led by multiple World Championships representative Zariane Sapong. The Micronesian Games 200m Champion from 2018, will go in the sprints, whilst Pacific Mini Games medallist Orrin Pharmin and Dennis Borja lead a strong male contingent for the home side.

Some Member Federations have taken the opportunity to send extra athletes to Saipan, in preparation for the Pacific Games in Honiara. 

The competition will be held at Oleai Stadium, on June 23 and 24. Entry will be free. For any media enquiries, please contact Kobie Donovan – media@oceaniaathletics.com

Australia:

Melanesia:

Micronesia:

Polynesia:

Northern Marianas: