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The CNMI team parades along the newly opened athletic field during the opening ceremony of the 10th Micronesian Games on Saturday, June 15, 2024
photo: Give Johnson
The Micronesian Games opened in Majuro on Saturday night with sports delegations from the region’s 10 islands parading in uniforms, carrying flags and banners on a newly opened athletics field.
Participants also watched rare traditional Marshallese stick dances, Marshallese flag dances, and performances by numerous local and off-island bands. The event ended with a fireworks display.
The Micronesian Games, held in the Marshall Islands capital of Majuro, showed the country’s “resilience” in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and severe power generation problems before the opening ceremony on Saturday, said Tony Muller, chairman of the Micronesian Games organizing committee.
Thousands of people packed into the stadium to watch the opening ceremony of the Micronesian Games, filming on their phones as Marshall Islands wrestling star Waylon Mueller lit the Olympic flame
photo: Give Johnson
Two hours before the evening show began, dark clouds covered Majuro and the capital was inundated with heavy rain, flooding the roads. But 30 minutes before the show began, the sky cleared and the rain stopped for the entire night, allowing the show to go on smoothly without being affected by the weather. The speaker at the opening ceremony said that the rain brought blessings.
Thousands of residents packed the athletic field to watch the opening ceremony of the largest event in Marshall Islands history.
The Palau team marches along the new athletics field in Majuro during the opening ceremony of the 10th Micronesian Games in Majuro.
photo: Give Johnson
More than 1,000 athletes from other islands and more than 200 from the Marshall Islands will compete in 13 sports over the 10 days of competition.
Earlier Saturday, three-on-three basketball and beach volleyball games began so that all sports can be completed during the 10th Micronesian Games from June 15 to 24. As expected, Guam dominated in both events.
Mueller, who is also a cabinet minister, took the stage Saturday evening with President Hilda Heine and MP Wilber Heine to officially launch the games.
Waylon Muller, the Marshall Islands’ most decorated athlete and wrestling coach, lit the Micronesian Games flame during the opening ceremony.
Many of the participating islands include Palau, Yap, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae, Nauru, Kiribati and the host Marshall Islands, with athletes wearing traditional island costumes at the opening ceremony.
The Games were originally scheduled for 2022 to fit in with the regional event’s quadrennial schedule, but plans were put on hold due to COVID-19 border restrictions, which remain in place on most Pacific islands, preventing travel to Majuro.
Last year, the Games were postponed until July-August, but even after the pandemic ended, it quickly became clear in early 2023 that two major sports facilities – the vast new track and field and baseball facilities and the National Stadium – would not be ready in time for last year’s Games. As a result, the 10th Games were postponed again until June 15-24, 2024.
Mueller said that although the Marshall Islands faces many challenges in hosting the Micronesian Games, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and power generation issues, “we are proving to the world that we are resilient.”
Organizers live stream many of the races through web pages set up for the races. Micronesian Games and announce the results of the competition.
Music and dance were the highlights of the opening ceremony of the Micronesian Games in Majuro on Saturday. One of the performers, Marshallese TikTok star Gooney Jibs (Ricardo Kejon), carried the Marshall Islands flag on stage, inspiring the athletes to get excited about the Games.
photo: Hilary Hosea
The Kiribati team performs a lively dance as they pass the VIP seating area during the Ten Islands Opening Ceremony Parade of the 10th Micronesian Games in Majuro.
photo: Hilary Hosea
Waylon Mueller, the Marshall Islands’ most decorated athlete in history, carries the torch and lights the Games flame during the opening ceremony of the Micronesian Games.
photo: Give Johnson
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