CNMI welcomes int’l soccer star Saki Kumagai

The CNMI was treated to a rare visit by a current international star athlete, as Japan National Women’s Football Team captain Saki Kumagai made her way to meet with and inspire the community last week.

Kumagai arrived last Thursday and before her inspiring “The Way of My Life” presentation and soccer clinic (the story will be posted in the next issue of Saipan Tribune), she was first welcomed in a meet-and-greet by Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang, NMIFA president Jerry Tan, Marianas Visitors Authority chair Gloria Cavanagh, and members of the Japanese community at the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan last Friday.

After the group shared with Kumagai the history of the CNMI and Japan, and addressed the importance of the Japanese tourism market in the CNMI, she sat for an interview with Saipan Tribune.

Kumagai, the 2011 World Cup Champion, is a close friend, and former classmate and teammate of NMI soccer head coach Konomi Suzuki, who invited her to visit the CNMI.

The 33-year-old said along with inspiring the community through her presentation and soccer clinic, she wanted to visit Saipan and enjoy her vacation here. Her impression of Saipan? “The beach is beautiful and the weather is nice, while the people are all kind,” she said.

During the meet-and-greet, Tan first gave the group a brief introduction of the soccer star and said that it’s the first time for NMIFA to invite and host an active international player.

With her short visit, Tan welcomed her as an ambassador to help promote the CNMI in Japan, as he emphasized the importance of the Japanese tourism market in the CNMI.

“We all want to see more Japanese tourists come back and we’re working very hard. Since we have the opportunity for Saki to be here, we want all her followers to visit us as part of our continuous effort to bring back more Japanese tourists,” said Tan.

Apatang started the round of introductions and thanked Kumagai for her visit on behalf of Gov. Arnold I. Palacios and himself. He also welcomed Kumagai, along with her friends and family to visit the CNMI.

Apatang also acknowledged that soccer in the CNMI is becoming very popular and is one of the fastest growing sports in the CNMI thanks to Tan. With that, he also told Saki to bring her soccer team to play against NMI players.

Then, Tasi Tours Inc. president Junichiro Takahashi, Japan Saipan Travel Association president Masaharu Takahashi, Japanese Society of Northern Mariana Islands chair Seiji Sato, Tasi Tours Inc. general manager and Marianas Visitors Authority board member Masaru Sunaga, and PDM Promoters, Inc.’s Hideaki Sawada said their welcome in Japanese.

For Cavanaugh’s part, she also underscored the importance of the Japanese market and the relationship between Japan and the CNMI. “We have a lot of history with the Japanese and we’re really working hard to bring that market back. We spend a lot of money to ensure that the market actually survives. Hopefully next year, we’ll be able to have a better and stronger market,” she said.

She added, “Thank you Jerry for bringing in Saki because people like you are like ambassadors for us, and we hope that you get really good treatment while you’re here. If there’s anything that MVA can do for you, please let us know… because we want you to enjoy and we want you to say to your friends in Japan, ‘hey, just three hours away, there’s this little place that really, really wants us back and wants to show us their hospitality.’”

Published by Saipan Tribune - Jun 10, 2024