Article by Marianas Press – Leigh Gases
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.
Tan then recalled that the facility sustained similar damage from Super Typhoon Yutu in 2018, a little over three months after its grand opening. That experience, while difficult, also serves as a reminder that recovery is possible. “We are very confident that we will keep moving forward in terms of restoring our facility,” he said.
He added, “We’re doing the initial cleanup, and we need to get help from contractors to work with us. It’s going to cost a lot of money to restore and repair all the damages—and how long will it take. I think it will be a couple more weeks before we actually have a better idea exactly what kind of time frame and what kind of restoration costs we’re talking about.”
But, just like last time, he said, “We’ll bounce back and our kids will be back on this pitch playing again.”
https://marianaspress.com/news/article/football-community-begins-recovery-after-typhoon-destruction