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.

Source: RNZ