The Sports Leigh-Out Apr. 18-24, 2026

Hafa Adai and Tirow sports fans, this is Leigh Gases with this week’s Sports Leigh-Out brought to you by Joeten Motors!

In the aftermath of Sinlaku, the sports community rises to the challenge as the Marianas recover.

Football community begins recovery after typhoon destruction

After Super Typhoon Sinlaku tore through the islands for 70 hours with its relentless strong winds and rain last week, the damage was visible everywhere. What had once been familiar—homes, roads, and gathering places—now bore the marks of wind and debris. Among the hardest-hit were the island’s sports facilities, which serve as centers for routine, competition, and community.

In the south, the Northern Mariana Islands Soccer Training Center in Koblerville, a battle tested facility that was extensively damaged after Super Typhoon Yutu in 2018, was damaged once again.

The typhoon had only just begun to move away on Thursday, Apr. 16. As soon as conditions allowed, Northern Mariana Islands Football Association president Jerry Tan went to the pitch that morning to assess the damage.

In an interview with Marianas Press on a sunnier day, Saturday, Apr. 18, as coaches were hard at work clearing out the debris, Tan said the damage was not entirely unexpected. The damages included sections of the fence surrounding the pitches, all the players’ benches, a lot of their goalposts, and parts of the bleachers and fan areas.

Meanwhile, the six lighting posts towering above the fields remained standing—a rare sign of resilience amid the destruction. However, all of the lightbulbs had been blown out.

Even before a complete assessment, recovery efforts were already underway. Since Friday, Apr. 17, coaches have been coming in to do what they can—clearing debris, removing hazards, and making the area safer piece by piece. Tan expressed appreciation for their efforts, noting that the cleanup reflects not just maintenance, but community spirit.

The spring youth soccer league was in the middle of its season, with practices and matches woven into weekly routines for many families. Now, as the extent of the damage continues to be assessed, the league has been postponed indefinitely, said Tan.

Va’a federation returns canoes back to shore

With the canoes safe from harm after the typhoon being inside the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium for safekeeping, the va’a federation came out in full force to return them to the Kilili Beach shores. They also cleaned up and prepared the area for the canoes.

Stay tuned for the full story.

Tennis courts open after clean up

The NMI Tennis Federation members and young tennis players assembled at the American Memorial Park Tennis Courts, Pacific Islands Club tennis courts, and the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan Tennis courts

Return to sports after Sinlaku

Amid broken light poles and fences, pickleball players were seen in action at the Capital Hill courts this week—passing the time, getting some exercise, and sharing good vibes and positivity after the onslaught of Super Typhoon Sinlaku.

Marianas Games postponed due to Sports Complex damages

With the anticipated inaugural 2026 Marianas Games—set to unite Rota, Tinian, Saipan, and Guam in the spirit of sport across the Marianas this June—the event has been postponed due to the impact of Super Typhoon Sinlaku on Saipan’s main sporting hub, the Oleai Sports Complex.

Northern Marianas Sports Association president Jerry Tan said in an interview on Tuesday, April 21, that the board met on Sunday, April 19, and agreed to postpone the Games, hopefully to a later date this year. He added that the current priority for everyone is to focus on their homes.

Tan said officials in Guam, as well as the mayors of Tinian and Rota, have already been notified.

“We are going to postpone it to a later date. It’s just a three-day event, so hopefully we can find the right timing later this year and still hold the Marianas Games. We just don’t know when it will be ready,” he said.

The Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium, which hosts basketball, badminton, wrestling, weightlifting, and other events, experienced flooding, a broken roof tile, a fallen air conditioning unit, and shattered windows. The Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field, which was being used for the 2026 Little League season, suffered damage to the bleachers, surrounding netting, and the newly built pitcher’s bullpen. The Miguel “Tan Ge” Pangelinan Softball Field, also used for the Little League season, sustained damage to its fence, bleachers, and press box, whose roof was blown off.

The track and field facility was heavily affected, with tears in the track surface caused by a large bleacher unit blown into the Saipan Mayor’s Office parking lot. The surrounding black fences were knocked down, the throwing area’s cage and netting collapsed, two soccer goalposts were displaced and broken, the steeplechase barrier was destroyed, and sand from the long jump area was blown away. Meanwhile, canoes belonging to the Northern Marianas National Paddle Sports Federation that were sheltered in the gym during the storm were undamaged.