Northern Mariana Islands smash regional barriers with historic Auckland bronze

The Northern Mariana Islands Badminton (NMIB) team is proving that Pacific athletes can thrive beyond traditional sporting codes, after securing a historic Under-17 bronze medal at the VICTOR Oceania Championships 2026.

Head Coach Nathan Guerrero says the achievement is about more than podium finishes, it is about representation.

“It’s a great deal for Pacific representation,” he tells Tuilagi William Leolahi on Pacific Huddle.

The 2026 Oceania Badminton Championships, held at the North Harbour Badminton Centre in Auckland from 8 to 15 February, is the region’s premier continental tournament for both individual and team competition.

A key event on the programme is the Pacific Under-17 Invitation Team Challenge, designed to nurture emerging talent across Oceania.

The NMIB team, managed by the Northern Marianas Badminton Association in Saipan, secured third place in the U17 team challenge after a dominant 4-1 victory over Wallis and Futuna on Saturday.

The bronze-medal finish followed earlier wins against Guam and Tahiti.

For Guerrero, leading the islands onto the continental stage carries added significance. He says badminton is often seen as an “Asian or Middle Eastern and [European] sport”.

“It’s not really big in the islands. Saipan is part of the US and it’s not that big over there either, so it means a great deal leading Saipan into games like this.”

Listen to Nathan Guerrero’s full interview below.

The NMI women’s team also impressed, finishing fourth overall. They opened their campaign with a narrow 3-2 breakthrough win against New Caledonia.

Genelyn Mirando Lansangan and Shaina Angela Dael Malonzo delivered in high-pressure moments during that tie, before the squad ended the tournament with a commanding 5-0 sweep of the Cook Islands on Sunday.

While the men’s team faced a difficult field and fell to Tahiti, there were bright spots. Marlon Bautista provided a standout individual performance, fighting backt to beat New Caledonia’s Theo Bourgeois 18-21, 21-18, 21-16.

Guerrero acknowledged the intensity of the competition but said simply showing up consistently at events of this level is important for smaller Pacific nations.

“It shows that people from the islands are not just into the common baseball, basketball, [or] rugby. The common sports that people would think are associated with the islands. We can play some badminton too. I feel like in the future you're going to see some pros come out of them.”

Guerrero believes sustained exposure to elite competition will help close the performance gap between Pacific teams and more established badminton nations.

His advice is simple: stay active and stay persistent. “Stay focused, stay positive, anything can happen in the world of sports. You could be the best in the world and it could not be your day.

“Keep striving, come down and try badminton. It’s not as easy as everybody thinks, but don't get discouraged if you're not doing so well. Even the pros in any other sport, just like badminton [players] themselves, they all had to start somewhere.”

For the Northern Mariana Islands, the Auckland campaign may mark just the beginning of a broader push to show that Pacific talent can excel in technical, globally competitive sports.