(ATR) Nearly 5,000 athletes from 31 countries are arrivingin Mayaguez, Puerto Ricofor the XXI Central American and Caribbean Games that begin this weekend.
Competition lasts until July 31, with the closing ceremony Aug. 1.
Sports on the program number33:all the Olympic sports except golf and football, plus baseball, bowling, karate, racquetball, skating, softball, speed skating, squash, and water ski.
A football tournament was planned but was scrapped after CONCACAF refused to sanction the event. No exact details were given from CONCACAF as to why they would not support the tournament.
Also missing from the Games will be perennial regional powerhouse Cuba. In February Cuba announced it would not participate. Cuba had initially raised concerns about the visa process. Once that was settled, more concerns, including issues related to housing and security, were raised. Cuba eventually then decided to pass on attending the Games altogether.
Cuba’s absence will undoubtedly hurt the level of competition. Cuba led the medal tallies at all the previous Central American and Caribbean Games
Other countries have had some issues obtaining visas to enter Puerto Rico, a U.S. commonwealth; however the consulate has worked with them to solveany problems.
Venues for the Games are located throughout Mayaguez and Puerto Rico. However, Bogota, Colombia, Guatemala and Guyana will also host events.
The main organizer of the Games is the Central American and Caribbean Sports Organization. CACSO will hold a general assembly Friday. Joining CACSO in organizing duties are the Puerto Rican and Mayaguez governments as well as the Puerto Rico Olympic Committee.
Representativesofthe three bids for the 2018 Winter Olympics are also expected to observe the Games. Annecy, Munich and PyeongChang are the bidders.
The first Central American and Caribbean Games, then called the Central American Games, took place in Mexico City in 1926. The Games are held every four years.
Mayi and Magüe, a male and female illustration of the Central American and Caribbean Games flame are the mascots.
TOP sponsor Coca-Cola is the highest profile sponsor of the Games. 48 other companies or organizations are sponsoring the Games.
One unusual collectors’ item from the Games may be the Mayaguez 2010 board game. Players have to answer questions about the sports played at the Games in order to win.
Written by Ed Hula III.
Últimas Noticias
Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons
Beyond the final result, Roland Garros left the feeling that the Italian and the Spaniard will shape the great duel that came to help us through the duel for the end of the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic era.
Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024
She is the third in her sport and the seventh athlete to achieve it in the same edition; in Santiago 2023 she was the first athlete with disabilities to compete at the Pan American level and won a medal.
Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris
Argentinian Rodrigo Isgró received a five-game suspension for an indiscipline in the circuit’s decisive clash that would exclude him until the final or the bronze match; the Federation will seek to make the appeal successful.
Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years
The Kenyan received the maximum sanction for irregularities in his biological passport and the Court considered that he was part of a system of “deliberate and sophisticated doping” to improve his performance. He will lose his record and the bronze medal at the Doha World Cup.
Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”
The American, a seven-time Olympic champion, referred to the case of the 23 positive controls before the Tokyo Games that were announced a few weeks ago and shook the swimming world. “I think our faith in some of the systems is at an all-time low,” he said.
