The Sports Leigh-Out August 22-28, 2026

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

Let’s take a closer look at what our athletes have been up to in off-island competitions and on their home turf—whether it’s on the pitch, mat, courts, fields, track, pools, or the beautiful ocean.

Saipan's Lady Sufa preparing for Labor Day tourney

More local softball players are preparing to compete off-island once again in the 21st CNMI Labor Day Softball Tournament, which will be held at Delta Park Sports Complex in Portland, Oregon, from Sept. 4-6.

Listen to Sheena Maratita, coach Benjamin Maratita, and Patricia Suel following their Budweiser Belau Amateur Softball Association game on Sunday, Aug. 16. They are competing for the women’s division team Lady Sufa at the highly anticipated event. Other local players are also heading to Oregon to compete with different teams—stay tuned for more.

W for ‘The Big Hit’ at BDBKB 7 via corner stoppage

CNMI’s Kelvin “The Big Hit” Fitial put the Marianas on the map with a Round 1 win via corner stoppage against Lonnie Bickhem during the Big Dawg Bare Knuckle Boxing 7 event on Saturday, Aug. 22, at Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Lemoore, California.

Fitial, who stopped fighting and competing in mixed martial arts for five years before making his BDBKB debut in 2024, said after his win, “It definitely feels good getting back into the winner’s column.” He added, “I felt extremely happy and deeply humbled. This Win, allows me to be the #1 contender for the belt. Another opportunity is forthcoming.”

When asked what was going through his mind during the fight, he said, “All I was thinking about was winning. Winning this fight was important to me because it’s bigger than me. I’m not just fighting for myself—I’m representing One Marianas, One Micronesia. I’m carrying my people, my roots, and everything that’s shaped me into who I am today.”

“I’m a proud son of NMI, with Chamorro, Carolinian and Pohnpeian roots,” said the 42-year-old.

Before this match, Fitial had the opportunity to become BDBKB’s first heavyweight champion in April, but he said he was unable to focus because Super Typhoon Sinlaku had just hit the CNMI. “I lost that fight due to referee stoppage, having been injured in the eye.”

For this recent fight, Fitial said he never stopped training. “I am constantly preparing myself mentally and physically for any opportunity that comes my way.” He added, “Now, more than ever, I feel great and confident in my abilities to continue pursuing what I love doing.”

Fitial and Guam’s Alex Castro were also on the same fight card, which Fitial said was special to him. “Alex Castro fought two fights in one night, unheard of and very rare. Super proud of him, definitely was a fight to watch. A lot of blood, sweat and tears,” said Fitial.

For his next competition, Fitial said it’ll be in Guam where he now resides. He is scheduled to compete at Submit VIII, a submission grappling event, on Friday, Sept. 11.

Read the full story on our website.

Team NMI in Tahiti for World Triathlon Regional Development Cup

NMI triathletes Shawna Brennfleck, Christian Villacrusis, and coach Robyn Spaeth, are in Tahiti to compete in the sprint triathlon in the World Triathlon Regional Development Cup 2026, today, Saturday, Aug. 29. Ahead of the competition from Monday to Friday, they participated in a training and development camp.

Stay tuned for results and the full story.

Guam’s Marianas Esports League holds Basketball 2K tourney

The Marianas Esports League in Guam held its inaugural King of the Court Basketball 2K Esports Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Agana Shopping Center. The league was founded in 2023 and also has a partner branch in the CNMI. After the tourney, Josiah01 was named king of the court.

Listen to league commissioner Oliver Vallarta on what the league is, their goals, and the skill level of players in Guam and the CNMI.

The tourney was sponsored by Docomo Pacific.

MP’s Guam Correspondent Eliseo Silverio III reports from Guam.

Season’s best for Orrin Pharmin at Masters Champs in Korea

Veteran track and field athlete Orrin Pharmin crossed the finish line with a season’s-best time of 12.76 seconds in the 100-meter dash during the World Masters Athletics Championships 2026, held in Daegu, South Korea, on Saturday, Aug. 22.

Among 108 registered athletes in the M35 category, Pharmin ranked 68th overall and placed sixth in his heat, which was run with a 1.5-meter-per-second headwind.

“This was my season’s best time. I also finished ahead of the other sprinters from Singapore and S. Korea, respectively, in my heat,” Pharmin said.

Pharmin described his experience at the championships as meaningful, saying, “The experience has been amazing and very meaningful for me. Competing at the 2026 World Masters Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea, alongside athletes from all over the world has been an honor. It was also great to represent the CNMI on the international world stage.”

He added, “Being able to compete against athletes from different countries and different backgrounds has motivated me to continue to work hard to improve my performance.”

Pharmin said he had been training for several months in preparation for the competition. “Athletics has been a major part of my life since I started competing in 2010, and I wanted to challenge myself by competing at the World Masters Athletics Championships. I also wanted the opportunity to represent the CNMI, test myself against some of the best Masters athletes in the world, and show that age doesn’t have to be a limitation when it comes to pursuing your goals.”

He added, “I want people watching from home to see that someone from a small island community can compete on a world stage. Hopefully, this journey, which I would rather name ‘our journey’ can inspire the younger generation to believe in themselves and pursue whatever goals they have.”

Looking ahead, Pharmin said he plans to take some time off to recover before returning to training. “I want to continue competing and improving my performance. My goal is to prepare as much as I could for the 2027 season and hopefully represent the CNMI in future international competitions. I’m looking forward to seeing what I can accomplish next.”

Read the full story on our website.

3rd pickleball fundraiser held ahead of World Cup

The NMI National Pickleball Team is gearing up to compete in its first-ever international competition—the Pickleball World Cup in Da Nang, Vietnam from Aug. 30 to Sept. 6 and wrapped up their third pickleball fundraising event on Sunday, Aug. 23 at the Saipan Ultimate Pickleball Hub. The CNMI delegation totals 43, with 28 players and 15 supporters. There's a youth team, a junior team, an open team, a senior team, and a masters team.

In the 4.0 division, Richard Asuncion placed first and Joseph placed second in the men’s singles category. Mihoko Suzuki and Erica won the women’s doubles, followed by Marivic Dunlop and Yoyo in second place. Asuncion and Dong won the men’s doubles, followed by Donn Dunlop and Levi in second place. And in the mixed doubles, Richard and Erica placed first, followed by Eric and Leah in second place.

In the 3.5 division, Russ placed first and Vince C. placed second in the men’s singles category. Leslie and Leah won the women’s doubles, followed by Clarissa Palumar and Jocelyn in second place; Erlwin Aguirre and Russ won the men’s doubles, followed by Tevin and Paul in second place. And in the mixed doubles, Sean and Lisa placed first, followed by Quina and Angelo in second place.

In the 3.0 division, James Clemente and Donny Rivera placed first in men’s singles, followed by Eduardo Baltazar in second place; in the women’s singles, Quina Viana placed first, followed by Clarissa Palumar in second; Cha and Catherine won the women’s doubles, followed by Jaeden and Aria in second place; and in the mixed doubles, Eduardo and Rochelle placed first, followed by Cha and Jun in second place.

Send off ceremony held for U20 Men’s National Team

The Northern Mariana Islands Football Association held a send-off ceremony on Friday, Aug. 21, for the NMI U20 Men’s National Team at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. They are off to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, where the NMI will compete in the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 qualifiers. They are going up against Mongolia, Guam, and Nepal.