NMI to host Oceania Junior Championships

The Northern Marianas Badminton Association is bringing the VICTOR Oceania Junior Championships 2025 to the NMI.

Badminton Oceania, which is the continental governing body for badminton across Oceania and has 17 member associations, in a recent new release, has announced the NMBA and the NMI’s hosting of the annual VICTOR Oceania Junior Championships from June 8 to 14, 2025. This latest announcement came less than a month after the NMBA successfully hosted back-to-back Badminton World Federation-sanctioned tournaments on the islands—the Crowne Plaza Northern Marianas Open and the Dove Saipan International. In the same news release, Badminton Oceania named New Zealand as the host of the VICTOR Oceania Championships 2025, which is an open division competition. The VICTOR Oceania Junior Championships are for players in the U19 age group.

“It is with great delight that we can announce these two hosts, who will both deliver quality experiences for the players,” Badminton Oceania chief executive officer Julie Carrel said.

“We had a goal of taking the Junior Championships to one of our Pacific countries so when Merlie (NMBA president Merlie Tolentino) came to us asking ‘what else could NMBA host,’ this was the perfect opportunity. This is the first time we have split the Open and Junior Oceania Championships which will also enable some of the juniors to also play the Open tournament in February and gain some valuable world ranking points. I know that every player going to the NMI will have an experience they will remember for a long time,” Carrel added.

For NMBA’s part, Tolentino said hosting another high-level competition is an honor for the association and the host nation. It also supports the NMBA’s efforts in making NMI badminton a key player in the region and bringing the sport closer to local players and other stakeholders, particularly among the youth.

“Our interscholastic program is growing and although we have seen significant improvement in their skill level during our regular/local competitions, the NMBA believes they could do more and deserve more given a chance. This (VICTOR Oceania Junior Championships 2025) is one of those opportunities to improve further as they are pitted against promising junior players in the region and experience different playing styles,” Tolentino said.

The VICTOR Oceania Junior Championships 2025 will have both the team relay and individual competitions, which means more opportunities to play for local youth players. The NMI had been to the Oceania Championships before, but only in the open competition and not in the U19 juniors division.

The tournament, according to Tolentino, will also help the NMBA continue to build local capacity, as they will be able to train line judges and umpires that will officiate the games.

“We are excited to welcome everyone to the Northern Mariana Islands for the VICTOR Oceania Junior Championships 2025. Hosting this event is a great honor, and we eagerly anticipate showcasing the exceptional talent and sportsmanship of the participants. We are committed to making this a memorable and successful event and look forward to seeing many people on Saipan in June next year,” said Tolentino.

The NMBA president also said that the VICTOR Oceania Junior Championships 2025 is a great addition to the list of events that the association is organizing to utilize badminton and its related activities as a platform for promoting sports tourism in the NMI. Last month, the NMBA brought over 200 players, coaches, and guests to the NMI when it hosted the Crowne Plaza Northern Marianas Open and the Dove Saipan International. Majority of the players and coaches stayed on the island for nearly two weeks, as games ran from July 2 to 13. (PR)

Published by Saipan Tribune