Team CNMI Photo: Supplied
CNMI - Pacific Games athletes
In the Northern Marianas, athletes who medalled at the 2023 Pacific Games in Solomon Islands were rewarded with cash.
Tania Tan received US$4,000 for her two gold medals, while Christina Tudela, Ray Santos, and Isaiah Aleksenko were each given US$2,000.
Santos also received US$1,000 for his silver medal and US$500 for his bronze medal.
Aleksenko won a bronze medal for an individual swim and won two bronze medals in a team relay swim for a total of $750.
The other bronze medallists for the relay swim team, which included Taiyo Akimaru, Kian Pajarillaga, Juhn Tenorio, and Kouki Watanabe, received US$125 each.
Volleyball bronze medallists Logan Mister and Andrew Johnson received $250 each, and bodybuilding's Davy Laxa and weightlifting's Leowell Cristobal received $500 each.
The rest of the team's officials and coaches received gift items and gift certificates worth US$100.
Pacific Cup - cricket
The Pacific Cup cricket tournament is set to be played in Auckland next month.
Participating teams include the Cook Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Vanuatu, as well as Aotearoa Māori.
Former Black Cap Ross Taylor, a keen advocate for cricket in the Pacific, said the tournament is a chance to continue growing interest in the game in the Pasifika community.
Taylor told New Zealand Cricket the tournament represents a great opportunity for Pacific cricketers to play against strong opposition, and in turn gain valuable experience.
Matches begin on January 17.
PNG - cricket
The Papua New Guinea women's cricket side has been named to compete at the Pacific Cup in Auckland, New Zealand, next month.
New captain Brenda Tau will lead the side.
The Auckland event will be held from January 14th to 22nd.
The National newspaper reported the team will be in Napier from January 6 for a pre- tournament training camp.
PNG will meet New Zealand and Samoa on January 17, Cook Islands on January 18 and Vanuatu and Fiji on January 19.
Finals are scheduled for January 21.
Fiji - sprint champion
A former Fiji secondary schools sprint champion is focused on becoming the first Fijian woman to play for the Black Ferns sevens.
Former Saint Joseph's Secondary School sprinter Louisa Tubailagi is currently a member of the Black Ferns Sevens' development side.
She told the Fiji Times in Suva she is focused on achieving her goal.
She said ever since taking up the sport, she has dreamed of being part of the Black Ferns Sevens side.
She will be heading to Japan where she will represent the Yokahama Sevens club for four to six months before returning to New Zealand.
Boxing - Parker
Joseph Parker has praised Deontay Wilder as the hardest hitting fighter in boxing.
In an Instagram post, Parker consoled his defeated opponent and said he hoped to see the Bronze Bomber back in the ring.
It comes as many call for Wilder to retire from the sport, following his unanimous decision loss to Parker on Christmas Eve.
Wilder, now 38, has lost three of his last four fights.
