21 July 2003

President Mejía shifts focus to Pan Am Games
President Hipólito Mejía said yesterday that he would dedicate himself full time to the Pan American Games over the coming days. He defended the costly installations the government has built for the 1-17 August event and said, “Any investment that is made in sports is useful and timely because 60% of the Dominican population is young. That is why we have not cut corners, so that these Games become a reality.”
Mejía also said those opposed do not understand that the venues built in the Parque del Este will serve more than one million people, and he mentioned the 5,000-person capacity of the amphitheater built in the park, which he claims meets the standards of the amphitheater of La Romana.
“We are going to show many people that pessimism can be defeated when there is determination to accomplish such things as we have done for the celebration of the Pan Am Games.”
In defense of what critics call extravagant installations, Mejía remains optimistic that all investment money will be recovered with the use of the venues for future international sports events and tourism promotion. “These works will serve to promote the country as a touristic destination – not only for beaches, but also for sports,” he said.
Hoy newspaper’s column “Tras los Pan Am” comments that for such a thing to happen, the government would need to triple the budget of the Ministry of Sports in 2004 in order to fund a continuation of sports events at the facilities.
Mejía seemed to accept the reality of the expensive venues when during the Una Vez por Semana TV show he compared the staging of the Pan Am Games to the preparations for a big party. “The people, in a very expensive party, pay to dance, swear and tire and then, on the next day, what you have is a hangover,” he commented, as reported in Listín Diario.
A recent Gallup poll published in Diario Libre showed that 55% of Dominicans support the Pan Am Games.


Will the tickets be free?
There are reports that the Pan Am Organizing Committee has been selling packages of tickets to the Games’ events to businesses. The columnist for “Tras los Pan Am” published in Hoy newspaper speculates that general admission might be free after all. With 11 days left to go, the Organizing Committee has not yet announced where the tickets will be on sale to the public. Similarly, no schedule of events been publicized – not even an indication of which countries will match one another – despite a million-peso campaign to promote the Games’ web site, where tickets may supposedly be purchased.


A/C at the villa
Athletes from Canada, the United States, Brazil and Chile will enjoy air conditioning in their rooms in the Pan Am Village, reports Hoy newspaper. The Olympic committees of those countries have paid for the installation of the units and the Organizing Committee will pick up the tab for the service. Other countries’ delegations will have fans in their rooms.


The DR team of the Pan Am Games
The Dominican sports federations forecast that the Dominican delegation will secure a total of 36 medals, including 1 gold medal, 7 silver and 28 bronze. At the Winnipeg Games in 1999, reports Hoy newspaper, the DR took only nine medals – one gold, three silver and five bronze. The predictions are detailed as follows:
Weightlifting: Medals: 3 silver, 3 bronze. Watch for Wanda Rijo, Miosotis Heredia, Wendy Santana, Maria Carvajal, Guillermina Candelario, Carlos Holguin, Playter Reyes and Roque Reinoso. Dominican weightlifters took home 4 medals in 1999, with Wanda Rijo winning gold.
Karate: Medals: 3 silver, 2 bronze. Watch for Rubel Salomon, Sterlin Feliz, Ana Montilla, Eduardo Confidente, Gustavo Dionicio, Alberto Zabala and Ariel Perez. At the 1999 Games, Katy Acevedo won a silver in this event.
Boxing, Judo, and Wrestling are down for three medals apiece. In the 1999 games, Luis Benitez took silver in the Tae Kwon Do event and Juan Carlos Jacinto and Elocadia Vargas both won bronze in Judo.
Two medals each are forecast for Track and Field, Cycling and Shooting.
The country also has its hopes for gold set on world-class hurdler Félix Santana.
In team sports, there are good prospects for a bronze medals in volleyball, handball, baseball and men’s softball.
Over the years, the DR has won 77 medals in the Pan Am Games – 3 gold, 23 silver and 51 bronze. Baseball won gold in the Mexico 1955 Olympics, with Felipe Rojas Alou on that team. Boxer Joan Guzmán was the first Dominican to win gold in the Argentina Pan Am Games in 1995. Wanda Rijo also won gold in Weightlifting at the Winnipeg Games.
The Dominican team consists of 794 people, including 549 athletes, 127 coaches, 489 delegates, 23 arbiters and 52 officials.


Big names in Pan Am Games
In addition to Dominican world-class hurdler Félix Sanchez, there will be many big-name athletes competing in the 1-17 August Pan Am Games. The Listín Diario says to watch for Cuban high jumper Ivan Pedroso.
In tennis, Colombia’s Fabiola Gzuluaga, Paraguayan Ramón Delgado, Brazilian Fernando Melingeni, Venezuelans Maria Vento and Milagros Sequera, Puerto Rico’s Cristina Brandy, and Marcelo Rios of Chile are thought to be at the top of their game.
In gymnastics, Danielle Hipólito of Brazil has high expectations, as does Cuba’s Aliusca Pérez in the event of Javelin.
A big attraction will also be Mexico’s Fernando Plata, who won silver at the Sydney Olympics for Diving, and his teammate Erik Fulnery, who is ranked No. 2 in the world.
Also from Mexico is Track and Field star, Ana Guevara, champion of the 400-meter dash.
Mario Kindelan and Guillermo Rinderboux are Boxing champions, and in Swimming we have a medallist from the Atlanta Olympic games, Cuban Nixen Bent, and world champion in the 50-meter event, Argentinian José Meolan.
Some 7,769 athletes from 42 countries have registered for the Games, a record that can be chalked up to the attractive geographic location of the DR. Additionally 2,443 coaches, trainers and delegates are registered.

Source: http://dr1.com

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