Gov orders girls
soccer back to Oahu

The tourney is slated for Feb. 25-28,
with most games at Aloha Stadium

By Pat Bigold
Star-Bulletin

Under vocal pressure from athletes' parents and the intervention of Gov. Ben Cayetano, the Hawaii High School Athletic Association has reversed its decision to move the state girls' soccer tournament to Maui.

"The governor has stepped in to correct an incredible injustice," said Gender Equity Sports Club president Jill Nunokawa, who led protests against the Maui move.

Norman Minehira, vice president of the HHSAA executive board, which voted Monday to reaffirm its decision to send the event to the War Memorial Stadium Feb. 18-21, said this morning that Aloha Stadium is open the following week.

He said the tournament, now rescheduled for Feb. 25-28, can be played at the Oahu stadium every day except the 25th. On that day, preliminary games will be played at "alternative" sites.

An Aloha Stadium spokesman said the Korean national baseball team, which was going to use the stadium for training Feb. 20-March 6, will not be coming because of financial problems.

Minehira said Cayetano had arranged with the private sector to provide $3,000 to each of the five neighbor island teams coming to Oahu. The HHSAA will use $5,000 of the $25,000 paid by Tom Moffatt Productions to buy out the stadium for Mariah Carey's Feb. 21 concert to help neighbor isle teams.

Minehira said the rest of the money will go back to the HHSAA.

Soccer mom Gale Braceros said, "I'm really, really happy. The girls are looking forward to it. Winning this was a big accomplishment."