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International Games News from El Salvador
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El Salvador will not participate in the Central American Games January 28, 2006 The National Olympic Committee of El Salvador notified ORDECA (Organizacion Deportiva Centroamericanos) last week, that it will not be sending athletes to the Central American Games, scheduled to begin a short five weeks from now. El Salvador was originally to serve as a co-host for the games, with Guatemala, in 2005. Those plans were cancelled when hurricanes devastated the area last summer, and the games were first cancelled, then re-instated to March of this year. ORDECA then parceled out the events, in a unique solution, planning to have six of the seven countries (excluding El Salvador) host a few events each. Now questions over security, transportation and housing have come up. With El Salvador announcing it will not participate, the number of teams entered in some sports has been reduced, and those sports may be in danger of being fropped from the games., means that other sports may not be held for lack of entries. Despite the extraordinary efforts of ORDECA to make arrangements there is concern that the games will simply collapse. ORDECA still plans to open the games on March 3rd. Schedule for 2006 Central American Games reduced further December 1, 2005 Updating its decision from three weeks ago, the nations of ORDECA (Organización Deportiva Centroamericana) have decided to reduce the schedule further, eliminating 5 sports, and leaving 20 sports to be hosted by six countries. Lack of entrants was cited for eliminating tennis, handball, bowling, rowing and chess. The games are still to be spread out among six different nations as follows: Guatemala - cycling, equestrian, football, shooting and weightlifting Nicaragua - athletics, boxing, bodybuilding, baseball and volleyball Panama - basketball, fencing, wrestling, swimming and softball Honduras - judo and table tennis Costa Rica - taekwondo and triathlon Belize - karate-do. The games are to be held March 3-12, 2006. Rare Solution proposed to Rescue Central American Games November 5, 2005 The nations of ORDECA (Organización Deportiva Centroamericana) have come to a unique agreement to rescue the eighth edition of the Central American games. The games will be spread out in six of the seven countries. El Salvador, the nation hardest hit by Hurricane Stan, and one of the planned hosts for the games in December of this year, will be the only nation not to hold any events. Nicaragua was named as the original host for the 2005 games after the 2001 games. When Nicaragua decided they could not host the games, the events were split between El Salvador and Guatemala. After Hurricane Stan, the games were postponed from December 2005 to March 3-12, 2006, then briefly canceled. Upon revival organizers plan to retain the March 3-12 dates. Nicaragua will host athletics, baseball, boxing, weightlifting, volleyball and bodybuilding. The rest of the events will be spread as follows: Belize: karate. Costa Rica: chess, bowling, taekwondo, shooting. Guatemala: cycling, equestrian, gymnastics, and rowing. Honduras: handball, judo, tennis, table tennis. Panama: basketball, fencing, wrestling, swimming, softball. The site for football competitions is still being decided. ORDECA will meet in about two weeks time to determine if the proposed entries warrant the addition or elimination of any sports on the program. Central American Games moved to March 2006 October 10, 2005 The Organizacion Deportivos Centroamericanos (ORDECA) has accepted the request from Guatemala and El Salvador to postpone the Central American Games scheduled for this year. New dates for the games have been preliminarily set as March 3-12. The move tightens up a busy schedule, with the Central American and Caribbean Games already scheduled for July of 2006, and the march dates overlapping a bit with the Winter Paralympic Games and occurring just before the Melbourne Commonwealth Games, though there should be no participation conflicts between the competitions. Central American Games in danger of postponement. October 9, 2005 Officials in both Guatemala and El Salvador will ask ORDECA tomorrow to postpone the upcoming Central American Games due to the damage and death from tropical storm Stan. The games were due to begin in December, but the severs storm damage and loss off life will shift the priorities to rescue and restoration efforts. ORDECA had earlier dismissed a proposal that Guatemala and El Salvador both hold events for the games, but since had reversed that decision. El Salvador opens Central American and Caribbean GamesNovember 25, 2002 Cuba stayed away, citing security concerns, one Venezuelan rower is missing in a pre-games training accident, and the Dominican Republic is assisting by hosting three events, but El Salvador opened the nineteenth edition of the Central American and Caribbean Games November 23rd. (Vague press reports stated that IOC President Jacques Rogge left the opening ceremony early because he found it "annoying.") Cuba cited concerns over security, and groups that would encourage Cuban athletes to defect. Four members of the Venezuelan rowing team were practicing in high winds the week before the games on El Salvador's Lake Coatepeque when their scull flipped. Two swam ashore, one was found on an island eight hours later, but Alexis Coba, 21, was not found. He was remembered at the opening ceremony, with wishes expressed that he still may be found. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic is helping with the games, hosting the handball, racquetball and shooting competitions, in venues that are being prepared for next years Pan-American Games. |