Pan American Games News

Pan American Games close

August 18, 2003

Depending on the perspective, the Pan American Games held in Santo Domingo from August 1 to 17, were a chaotic mess full of bungling and poor management, or a "superb" games with the Dominican Republic shining though one of its greatest moments in the nations history. One reporter went so far as to say that the organization of the games raises the bar for Athens and Rio de Janeiro, the 2004 Olympic Games and 2007 Pan American Games hosts.

There was a little bit of both.

The Games had their sporting moments that hometown Santo Domingo fans will most likely not see again for a very long time. Dominican World Champion hurdler Felix Sanchez went into the games carrying the greatest expectations of any athlete in the games. He delivered with a gold medal performance that some have described as being as exciting as Cathy Freeman's gold medal run in the 400 meters at the Sydney Olympic Games. The track and field stadium the night that Sanchez ran his race was overrun by spectators, many pushing over fences to get to the outside of the stadium, just to see glimpses of the stadium screens. The stadium stands, aisles were jammed with fans, and some fans climbed into the rafters of the stadium roof to get a view.

Whenever Dominican teams were playing at other venues the scene was the same. The baseball crowd overflowed Quisqueya Stadium when the Dominican Republic played the United States. The volleyball crowd for the women's final, Dominican Republic vs. Cuba, was reportedly 8,000 people in an arena built to hold 4,000 spectators. The game was delayed 30 minutes after police used tear gas before the match began, to keep the crowd back. The Dominican did not seem to be that interested when other teams were playing, with numerous sports playing to empty venues when the Dominican Republic was not participating, though officials reported that spectator attendance for the seventeen days of the games was just over 1 million.

The Dominican Republic did very well in the medals table, making full use of their home court advantage, and had their best Pan American performance ever, winning 10 gold, 12 silver and19 bronze for a total of 41 medals.

Credit must be given to the Dominican Republic's Minister of Sport, Andres Polemir, who made a very bold prediction back in March that the Dominican Republic would win between 25 and 35 medals at the games. At the time, the prediction seemed very ambitious. Polemir said he was basing his prediction on results from the 2002 Central American and Caribbean Games, a games that Cuba boycotted, leaving many medals to other nations. In the end Polemir was right, and the Dominican Republic's athletes exceeded his prediction.

Early on the games, most news reporters gave the impression that the games had the potential to spin wildly out of control.

Computer problems slowed the results system, the water in the pool was far too warm, forcing organizers to dump ice in it to cool it off every night. For the first few days, some venues did not have running water, even in the bathrooms, or air-conditioning to cool the sweltering temperatures. After the first week things seemed to settle down. Security was either very good or not good at all, depending on the source.

There were four known doping violations during the games. U.S. sprinter Mickey Grimes tested positive for ephedrine and lost his 100 meters gold medal and the US forfeited the 400 meter relay gold medal. Suriname's Letitia Vriesde had her 800 meter run gold medal taken away for levels of caffeine above the accepted limits. Rower Ulf Lienhard or Argentina tested positive for cocaine and lost a silver and a bronze medal. Charles Fabian a cyclist from Antigua also tested positive for ephedrine. He was 19th in the road time trial competition.

There were no reported fights or brawls between teams, a rarity at international games, no one went home. There were a few, but not an overwhelming number of disputes over officiating. National flags and national anthems, symbols that many nations can get very testy about, seemed to be one of the main areas of concern to many. The Dominicans were not prepared to play many anthems and some athletes did not get to hear their nations hymn played at their victory ceremony.

Argentina won the gold medal in men's soccer, over Brazil 1-0. Brazil beat Canada 2-1 in women's soccer. Cuba beat the US to win the baseball gold medal. Brazil won the men's basketball gold medal over the Dominican Republic, Cuba's women's team beat the United States for the women's basketball gold.

2003 Pan American Games Medals Table

Pan Am Games underway

August 2, 2003

Many thought it would never happen, but the fourteenth edition of the Pan-American Games finally opened in Santo Domingo with yesterdays opening ceremonies.

Opinions on the festivities were mixed. Some called it spectacular and colorful. An AP source recorded thirteen year old Dominican Elias Parra's thoughts; "It's the best day of my life. We've never had this event in my country.'' 

A more cynical opinion was expressed by Terry Jones. Reporting in the Edmonton Sun. Jones described the ceremony as "a seriously shabby, second-rate show with marginal choreography and organization."

During the opening, PASO president Mario Vazquez Rana was booed for his remarks leading up to the games regarding the state of preparations in Santo Domingo. He seemed to take the criticism in stride.

Local baseball heroes, old-timer Juan Marichal and current star Pedro Martinez, were on hand for the ceremony and helped to light the games torch and to give tribute to the nations baseball heritage. Marichal put a small ball of flame onto a cauldron in the center of the field.  Then young Luis Pujols, nephew of the major league player by the same name, swung a baseball bat at the ball. Effects made it look like the ball was hit to the top of the stands, lighting the cauldron. 

There was the all-too common snafu which occurs at many international games with a national flag. This time the Brazilian flag being mis-represented, Brazilian papers describing it as "completely disfigured," with incorrect colors and a globe symbol much smaller than normal. The Brazil delegation considered for a short time not marching behind the flag, but eventually participated.

Brazil's chef-de mission wrote a letter to organizers complaining of the "disrespectful manner in which the Brazilian flag was treated"

Brazilian Olympic Committee president said the flag was "unacceptable"

After an official apology, and a check of all of the other flags to be used for the games, the matter has been considered to be closed.

Left- The Brazilian flag at the 2003 Pan Am opening ceremony. Note the gold as opposed to yellow color and a much smaller than normal  globe.

The Brazilian flag as it is normally portrayed

Mild Protest Precedes Pan Am Opening Ceremony

August 1, 2003

Dominican President Hipolito Mejia has pleaded with the Dominican Republic's labor unions and other groups to refrain from protests during the Pan American Games. One group decided to go ahead anyway, just hours before the opening ceremony and was met with tear-gas from Dominican police.

A group of about 500 people from a local Catholic church decided to hold it's own "Torch Against Hunger" to protest the nations economic policies and the amount of money being spent on the games, and not on essential human needs.

There were minor injuries from the tear gas and tear gas pellets.

Preparations still in the air on eve of Pan-Ams

July 31, 2003

In 1999, the Pan American Sports Organization had a choice for its next Pan-American Games host. PASO chose Santo Domingo over Medellin, Colombia and Guadalajara, Mexico.

It's been reported for well over the past year that Santo Domingo was behind in its preparations for the games. Now the games are here, the foreign press has arrived in Santo Domingo, and we're starting to get a feel for just how chaotic the Santo Domingo Pan-Am Games are going to be.

Very few test events have been held in the venues. In fact, some of the venues still don't have electricity, running water or toilets. One recent report said that some venues were still being painted, but lacking paint brushes, the workers were simply using their hands!

Air conditioning units and scoreboards still need to be installed, and sports federation officials from nearly every sport spent the past week attempting to certify that the facilities to be used were safe and legal for competition.

The day before the games, the wrestling, taekwondo venue is without mats in which to practice and compete on and the gymnastics and fencing venues are still without equipment.

Some reporters are noting that even on the eve of the games, there is hardly a sense of urgency surrounding the preparations.

Organizers were not able to sell any television rights for the games to private TV stations inside the country, so three government stations will televise the games. About 14 Latin American TV stations have paid for the rights to televise the games. CBC will be televising the games in Canada. There will be no television for the United States.

There has been some bright new for organizers. All of the general admission tickets for the opening ceremonies sold out within hours of going on sale, but it wasn't made known how many general admission tickets were made available. The tickets sold for RD $200 (about $6 US dollars.) Tickets for RD$1,000, ($30 US dollars) and RD$3,500, ($103 US dollars) are still available.

Pan-Am athletes prepare for surprises

July 25, 2003

CBC News has quoted Canadian Pan-American Games athlete Susanne Dandenault remarking "I saw on the Web site that water and electricity are now guaranteed for the village. That scared me. I took it for granted we'd have those sorts of things."

But, the athletes traveling to Santo Domingo for the games, should prepare themselves for plenty of surprises. The Dominican Republics economy has been suffering with rampant inflation, and 15-hour power outages every day in the nations major cities have become regular, and been cause for violent protests.

However, the nations president, Hipolito Mejia has stated the government will pay for everything. “I have my pen right here,” he told a journalist. “The checkbook is here.”

Given the power outages, emergency electrical generators have been installed around the village and venues. The US, Canada, Brazil and Chile will make good use of the electricity available to their part of the village, having paid to install air-conditioning units in the village for their athletes. The other nations will get fans in their rooms.

Organizers have created a large security force for the games, and printed up booklets of rules and lists of prohibited items in the venues. The books note that, "skateboards, frisbees, skates, bottles, cans etc. are prohibited inside the stadiums, but, "begging and religious or political proselytizing is permitted." This was caught as an error the next day and it was announced that begging and proselytizing will not be permitted in the venues.

President Mejia has once again defended the amount of money spent on sports facilities, stating that the venues will pay off by being used for many more events in the future. At the same time however, very few tickets have been sold for the games, because within two weeks of the games, ticket prices, ticket availability and event schedules still had not been clearly communicated to the locals in Santo Domingo and the rest of the nation.

One other story that will play out during the games, the government, games organizers and a local Cardinal, Nicolás de Jesús López Rodriguez, have asked that unions and other groups suspend their protests during the games, so that the games can be held peacefully.

One union, the CNUS (National Council for Union Unity) has agreed, while the COP (Coordination of Popular Organizations) has not.

President Mejia said that “local and external forces” are bent on destabilizing the Games in order to discredit the country, and has asked for a "truce" with the unions during the games. COP representative, Ramón Perez Figuereo replied “the government also needs to call a truce with the people, on power cuts, and price rises in fuel, food and services.”

Seven more days and many of these questions will become more clear. The games are scheduled to open on Friday, August 1st, and run until August 17th.

Pan-Am facility update

July 3, 2003

The updates are coming nearly every day now. The Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center in Santo Domingo will be ready July 15. The center contains the stadium, velodrome, aquatics center, and volleyball courts.

In a press conference July 2nd, Pan American Sporting Organization vice president Michael Fennel told organizers to speed up the work or "the Games might not be able to take place if urgent measures are not applied."

One instance of delay was with the scoreboard installation. The company responsible has yet to be paid, and has refused to install timing equipment and scoreboards in the venues. 29 stadiums need the equipment installed in the next 27 days.

Tick-tock, tick-tock. Time running out for Pan-Am preparations

July 1, 2003

Pan American Sports Organization representatives on their latest inspection tour yesterday of Pan-Am facilities in Santo Domingo were said to be "not pleased" with the status of several buildings. The Olympic Center is still under heavy construction and renovation. The facilities for shooting, volleyball and equestrian, and one football venue are also reportedly still far behind. The East Park Center and the swimming complex have shown progress.

Torch relay for the Pan American Games underway

June 23, 2003

The torch for the Pan-American Games was lit in Mexico today, at Teotihuacan and will be relayed through several cities in the United State and Puerto Rico before arriving in the Dominican Republic. The torch will be flown into Providence, Rhode Island from Mexico City, arriving in Providence June 25th.

On June 26th, the flame will be carried to Boston's Fenway Park. At 1:05 p.m. a ceremony is scheduled with Dominican Republic native and Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez prior to the game.

On June 27 through 29th, the torch will be relayed to New York City. The torch will be in Manhattan on the 28th and appear at a ceremony in Yankee Stadium on June 29th. Alfonso Soriano, another major-leaguer from the Dominican Republic will be part of the ceremonial festivities at Yankee Stadium.

The torch will then be flown to Miami, Florida for activities on June 30th, will be relayed around the Dominican neighborhood of Allapattah and appear at another Major League Baseball game that night, the Florida Marlins against the Atlanta Braves.

On July 1st the torch is scheduled to be flown to Puerto Rico and will be toured around most of the island until July 5th.

The torch finally arrives in the Dominican Republic on July 6, and will be relayed until August 1, the day of the opening ceremony.

Pan-Am preparations crawl along

June 10, 2003

One of the problems with the Pan-American Games might be that the tickets have not been available, which may have been depriving the organizers of, if not a major funding source, some ready cash for expenses. Much has been made of the Pan-American Games facilities not being ready, but tickets for the games, which are supposed to begin August 1st, will not go on sale until some time in July.

Organizers may not be expecting much revenue from tickets anyway as admission will be free in some cases with tickets for other events ranging from $2.50 to around $22.00 US. Games officials, however, have said that prices that were originally reported for tickets in Dominican newspapers were not correct.

In the meantime, the debate over the readiness of facilities continues. All arguments will become moot on August 1, as the stadia will be ready, or won't be.

One Dominican newspaper reported that former president of the Olympic Committee, Roque Napoleon Muñoz, doubted that several of the venues will be ready on time.

Muñoz, in a press conference, stated that the venue designers have built gigantic facilities that are overly dimensioned. "That is why I left the Pan Ams because I could not share in those things," he said. He said that the government and the Pan American Games Organizing Committee share the responsibility for this situation.

Muñoz went on to say that when President Leonel Fernández gave his go ahead to the Games in 1997, the estimate was for the Games to cost about RD$752 million (about $28 million US). He said when President Hipólito Mejía again approved the Games upon being elected President, the budget was estimated at RD$1.2 billion (44 million US).

Currently, Muñoz has estimated the bill for the games at RD$5 billion or about $184 million.

So far, engineers due RD$8 million have only been paid RD $1 million and are concerned about getting paid for their work.

The current president of the Organizing Committee, Dr. José Joaquín Puello, responded to Muñoz the next day stating that all of the facilities would be finished three to six weeks before the games. Time is running short. As of June 10, there are just 52 days until the Pan American Games.

The games web site (http://www.santodomingo2003.org.do/) is currently of no help on either of these issues as it reroutes, at the moment, to a telecom company.

Will Pan-Am Preparations rush to completion?

June 1, 2003

The Dominican Republic's Minister of Public Works has stated that "finger crossing is not necessary" when it comes to the completion of the venues for the Pan-American Games in Santo Domingo, but according to press reports the facilities are far from complete.

With just two months to go, the organizers have missed the May 30 deadline that was put in place for the venues to be finished by. The newspaper Listin Diario has reported that only six of the 23 facilities that are being built for the games have been completed.

According to Listin Diario, facilities being renovated and still not finished are the Palacio de los Deportes, Carlos Teo Cruz Colisseum, Quisqueya, Tetelo Vargas and Cibao ball parks, Feria Ganadera, Santo Domingo Yacht Club, Olympic Stadium, velodrome, volleyball pavilion, racquetball courts, swimming, water polo and diving complex, tennis courts, table tennis facility, gymnastics pavilion, weight lifting pavilion, an amphitheater, equestrian center in El Higuero, soccer field in San Cristobal and Sans Souci shooting center.

Finished are the El Higuero shooting range, the handball pavilion, the wrestling pavilion, a soccer field, hockey field, archery installation.

The Venezuelan company in charge of renovations of the Olympic Stadium has said they will finish July 25, a week before the games open.

Cuba to the Dominican Rescue?

March 17, 2003

Organizers are still insisting that Santo Domingo will be ready to host the Pan-American Games, but observers have seen a "new volleyball stadium that so far is no more than a few cement pillars and mountains of rubble."

Swimming, volleyball, gymnastics, soccer, cycling, rowing and equestrian events might possibly be cancelled if venues are not ready. 

Cuba is now sending help. About 100 Cubans have offered their services to help with the organization of the Games to help with the ceremonies, media coverage, the athletes' village, logistics, credentials, security and medicine.

Dominican Republic making bold medal predictions for Pan-Am's

March 2003

The Dominican Republic's Minister of Sport, Andres Polemir, has told Dominican media that he is expecting a record haul of medals for the Dominican team at this year's Pan-Am Games, hosted by the Dominican Republic.

Polemir has predicted the D.R. will gather between 25 and 35 medals at the games, and says that he is basing the numbers on the D.R.'s performance at this past December's Central American and Caribbean Games.

Polemir may want to reconsider. It is very common for teams from host nations to win more medals than they do when the games are not on their turf, but Polemir may be forgetting that Cuba boycotted the last Central American and Caribbean Games because of poor relations with the host, El Salvador.

Cuba generally runs off with the majority of the medals in the Central American and Caribbean Games. With Cuba's absence in 2002, the Dominican Republic won 132 total medals, 35 gold, 38 silver and 59 bronze. The previous D.R best total at the Central American and Caribbean Games was 71 total medals in 1998.

The Dominican Republic to date, has won a total of three gold medals in the eight Pan-Am competitions they have participated in since 1955. The D.R.'s best total medal performance was in 1979 with 14 total medals, zero gold, five silver and nine bronze. Winning between 25 and 35 medals will be an ambitious goal. 

Pan Am Construction slows again

Feb. 18, 2003

Despite last months claims that construction is on schedule for the 2003 Pan-Am Games, recent reports from the Dominican Republic have given the opposite impression. Supposedly only 20 percent of the construction for volleyball, cycling velodrome and rowing venue have been completed.

Delays in construction and political instability in Venezuela may force the cancellation of some events. Venezuela has been helping with construction of venues and financing of the games.

The Pan-American Sports Organization (PASO) has warned that if any facilities are not finished on time, events will be canceled. PASO will meet March 27 in Cuba to discuss the situation.

"If construction continues at this speed they (the venues) will not be done by inauguration time," said Roque Napoleon Munoz, the Pan American Sports Organization construction supervisor in the Dominican Republic.

The deadline for all of the construction was set for May but that deadline has been pushed back to July 27. The games are scheduled to open on August 1.

President Mejia replies to Pan-Am concerns

January 2003

President Hipolito Mejia told reporters in the Dominican Republic, that there is nothing to worry about concerning funding of the Pan American Games.

"If more money is needed, there will be more money," the President said.

Mejia has predicted that the Dominican Republic will be very successful at the games, stating "many people are going to have to hold their tongues." "The pessimists will not have to throw themselves over a bridge, but will suffer embarrassment for having partaken in such absurd anti-games campaigns."

Pan-Am Games venues falling behind

December 13, 2002

The Pan American Sports Organization has decided that if certain venues for the 2003 Pan American games are not finished by May, those events will have to be moved to another country.

Pan Am Construction projects are being held up by financial constraints.

A US$54.1 million loan for venue construction that had been approved by the Dominican Senate was rejected by the Chamber of Deputies. Disagreement over national indebtedness, the interest payments and commissions meant the vote was not favorable.

Meanwhile, political crisis in Venezuela has also held up loan money from that country that was also to be spent on venue construction.

The Dominican Republic is waiting for some $33 million for pool and stadium renovations. Work is behind schedule, and Dominican Republic Sports Minister Cesar Cedeño has agreed that some sports may have to be relocated if venues can not be made ready in time.

“We have to be realistic because the work is advancing at a slow pace, but we are committed,” he said.

Pan-Am venue money slow

November 2002

The Banco de Desarrollo Economico y Social of Venezuela has made a US$3.1 million first disbursement of a total US$15.8 million loan for the reconstruction of the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic to be used for the 2003 Pan-American Games.

The money will pay for new construction and renovations of the Olympic Stadium, cycling velodrome, boxing, gymnastics, weightlifting and volleyball pavilions, and a baseball stadium.

8 months are left before the games. The reconstruction had been estimated to take 15 months time.

Pan Am transport plans studied

November 2002

Auding Latinoamericana, the transportation provider for the 2003 Pan-American Games, has carried out transit studies in Santo Domingo and has promised that transportation for the games will be better even than the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games for which the company also organized transport.

According to the studies, transportation times will be about 10 minutes from the Las Americas International Airport, to the Pan-Am Games Village, from the Village 15 minutes to the Mirador del Este Park, and from the village 30 minutes to the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center.

2003 Pan-Am Venues will be complete, say Organizers

July 24, 2002

Organizers of the 2003 Pan American games have assured observers that all necessary venues would be completed by February, 2003. The games are scheduled to open august 1, 2003.

The Minister of Public Works Miguel Vargas Maldonado toured construction sites with reporters and said nearly 60 million dollars will be spent on 26 different venues.

Tax exemptions offered to import cars for Pan Am Games

July 23, 2002

President Hipolito Mejia of the Dominican Republic has authorized a tax reduction for vehicles to be imported and used for the Santo Domingo Pan American Games in August 2003.

The tax incentive is to induce private individuals to pay for luxury vehicles to be imported into the country.

The vehicles would then be loaned from the owners to the Organizing Committee and used from between 5-15 days during the 2003 Pan-American Games to transport visiting heads of state and other dignitaries.

Over 300 vehicles will be needed during the games.

Dominican Athletes may skip CAC Games

June, 2002

Andres Polimar, the president of the Track and Field Federation of the Dominican Republic, is frustrated and angry at the state of facilities in country and has threatened to skip this years Central American and Caribbean Games in El Salvador in November.

The track at Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center track has been under repair for years now, and not available for use. A grass track has been provided next to the stadium. Polimar has said, ""We need a synthetic track, we are not interested in the grass."

Some $1.2 million (Dominican) was promised by the Dominican Olympic Committee to allow Dominican athletes to train in Puerto Rico and Guatemala for up to two months, but the Track and Field Federation has not yet seen the money.

Polimar has stated that without the chance to prepare the Dominican Republic track and field athletes will not compete in the Central American Games.

Most of the support for sport in the Dominican Republic is currently going towards preparations for the 2003 Pan American Games.

Pan American Sports Organization meetings

June, 2002

PASO, the Pan American Sports Organization held meetings in May in Kuala Lumpur as part of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) meetings.

The 42 NOCs from North and South America talked about an ongoing series of coaching courses, in 28 sports, that are currently being held to improve the level of coaching expertise in the region. 30 courses have been held with some 130 more on the schedule up until the 2003 Pan American Games.

PASO NOCs representatives also discussed progress and plans for the Pan-American Games to be held in the Dominican Republic, and received presentations from Rio de Janeiro and San Antonio who are bidding for the 2007 Pan-American Games. 

More budget support for Pan Am Games

President Hipolito Mejia of the Dominican Republic has approved the 2002 budget for the Pan American Games. RD$1.28 billion was approved for 2003 and RD$420 million for 2003. The Games will be held in Santo Domingo 1 - 17 August 2003.

Dominicans now said to support Pan-Am Games

April, 2002

Earlier this year a poll reported that nine out of ten Dominicans did not support the 2003 Pan-American Games to be held in Santo Domingo.

A new poll initiated by Hoy newspaper in March now shows that 65 percent of Dominicans support the Games. 53 percent believe that the games will be economically beneficial for the country.

Mejia orders new parks created.

March 22, 2002

True to his pledge of over a year ago, President Hipolito Mejia of the Dominican Republic has ordered the creation several new parks to make up for the construction of Pan-American Games venues and resulting loss of green space in Santo Domingo's Mirador del Este Park. 

The new parks created will be: 430 hectare Mirador Oeste; 150 Hectare Manantiales del Norte; 545 hectare Mirador del Norte; Parque Nacional Humedales del Ozama and Gran Parque Mirador Las Americas.

Together these five parks will preserve wetlands, natural springs, swamps, lagoons, mangroves, rivers and caves.

Dominican Republic Medal Hopes for Pan-American Games

March 18, 2002

The Dominican Olympic Committee has forecast that the Dominican Republic could win as many as 50 medals in the 2003 Pan Am Games to be held in Santo Domingo. The Dominican Republic press is very skeptical. The DR has been participating in the Games since 1955. The following table presents the medals won over the years. 

When DR President Hipolito Mejia was asked about whether he was concerned with the number of medals the DR would win in the Games, he joked, "People say we are not going to win many medals. Well, that is not my problem. With my stomach and at my age, I can't play anything."

Pan-American Games Construction Resumes, but not without controversy.

March 18, 2002

Construction of venues has resumed in Santo Domingo's Mirador del Este Park, but the controversial clearing of hundreds of trees for the project has prompted an investigation by Attorney General for Environmental Affairs, Jose Antonio Trinidad.  

According to the Listin Diario newspaper some 600 trees were either sprayed with lethal chemicals or burned to make way for the new sports venues. The controversy began well over a year ago when Dominican Republic President Mejia said that he would replace as many trees as would have to be removed and more, but that the facilities would be built in Mirador del Este Park. Urban planners, ecologists, and Minister of Environment Frank Moya Pons all opposed the plan a year ago.

Pan American Games will be financed

February, 2002

In the Dominican Republic, President Hipolito Mejia dismissed concerns over the possible financial burden of the Pan Am Games. According to the President, the games are expected to cost RD$1.6 billion describing the money as "pennies compared to some other things that the government has to confront." "There will be money when this is required (by the Organizing Committee) for the works," said the President.

Some 2002 Central American Games events to be held in Santo Domingo.

January, 2002

The racquetball and handball events of the San Salvador Central American and Caribbean Games will be held in Santo Domingo at the new sports venues going up in the Mirador del Este Park, in eastern Santo Domingo. The games are scheduled for November of this year. The new sporting venues are being built for the 2003 Pan American Games scheduled for summer 2003 in Santo Domingo.