30 Jul 2010

More than 1000 competitors expected at Palau's Micronesian Games

10:07 am on 30 July 2010

A spokesperson for Palau's Micronesian Games Organising Committee says they're expecting over one thousand competitors to participate in 15 sporting events at this year's Games starting on Sunday.

Apart from Palau there'll be competitors from Guam, the Northern Marianas, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Kiribati and the four Federated States of Micronesia - Yap, Chuuk, Kosrae and Pohnpei.

Baklai Temengil says the Palau Government contributed 700-thousand US dollars towards the event with the organising committee raising an additional 350-thousand through donations and sponsorships.

She says this year's theme is the "Green Games" and as well as the usual sports there're competitive cultural events planned.

"' We host the more regular sports like athletics, wrestling, basketball, baseball volleyball. And then we have more traditional sports, one is outrigger canoeing, and the other is spearfishing and then the other one is the Micro All around. The Micronesian All around is climbing coconut trees, husking coconuts, grating and then diving and getting your pebbles for the longest depth you can dive in and then a swim run on the beach."