ICYMI: German Olympic Bid; 2026 Central American & Caribbean Games

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(ATR) The Rhine-Ruhr region of Germany is now under consideration for a bid for the 2032 Summer Olympics.

Berlin is out of the conversation after a survey revealed that support for a bid from the region in western Germany was encouraging.

The survey commissioned by the German Olympic Sports Confederation drew "a pleasingly positive picture of the mood in Rhine-Ruhr and in each of the participating municipalities", said DOSB President Alfons Hörmann in an interview with the German Press Agency.

Thus, North Rhine-Westphalia with this initiative "clearly offers a better starting position than Berlin at present," said Hörmann.

"On the one hand, we have systematically analyzed the legacy of our various bids over the past two decades," explained Hörmann.

Most recently, Munich had failed in its bid for the 2018 and 2022 Winter Games, and Hamburg for the Summer Games in 2024.

"To be fair, you must of course emphasize that Rhine-Ruhr has already had a two- to three-year trial behind it, which Berlin did not have," said the DOSB chief.

Hörmann notes that under the new way that the IOC selects Olympic hosts, the 2032 Summer Games could be awarded as early as 2022.

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Santo Domingo Joins Guanajuato for Centennial Games

(ATR) At the end of the ninth inning Santo Domingo tied the game with Leon in the race towards the so-called "Centennial Games".

On January 31, the day to close bidding, Santo Domingo deposited its letter of intent to bid for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games, the centennial edition.

The documentation included the endorsement of the city's mayor, David Collado, and the government support of the President of the Republic Danilo Medina

Santo Domingo joins the Mexican city of León, Guanajuato. Officials from Leon officially certified their interest last October during the ODECABE General Assembly in Panama City, host to the Games in 2022.

The 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games are the oldest regional Games in the world. The first edition of the Games was held in Mexico City with three countries, Cuba, Guatemala and the host nation.

In addition to this historic version Mexico has celebrated the Central American and Caribbean Games in 1954, 1990 (both in Mexico City) and in 2014 (Veracruz) in addition to the Pan American Games of 1955, 1975 and 2011 (Guadalajara). In 1968 it hosted the first Olympic Games in a Spanish-speaking country.

The Dominican Republic organized them in 1974 (Santo Domingo) and 1986 (Santiago de los Caballeros) and in 2003 sponsored in its capital successful Pan American Games, the last ones hosted in the Caribbean.

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Santiago 2023: Villa Panamericana a licitacion en marzo

(ATR) Aunque las revueltas sociales han golpeado el crecimiento de la economía de Chile los organizadores de los Juegos Panamericanos Santiago 2023 aseguran que los preparativos han iniciado un rumbo de progresión.

"El próximo mes ya se hará la licitación de la Villa Panamericana" anuncia a Around the Rings, el presidente del Comité Olímpico Chileno y vicepresidente de la Corporación Santiago 2023, Miguel Angel Mújica.

El proyecto, que será acometido por empresas privadas, estará en la zona capitalina Los Cerrillos y contará con 6,2 hectáreas, donde se esperan construir otros nueve de infraestructura temporal. La Villa tendrá 1.100 apartamentos con 6.400 camas disponible para los deportistas.

"Los últimos 60 días han marcado un momento determinante" dice Mújica en alusión a la entrega del Plan de Infraestructura que alcanza a 16 comunas,de ellas 11 en la Región Metropolitana y cinco a Valparaíso.

Los organizadores afirman que más allá de cumplir con el programa de los Juegos, este plan de instalaciones busca garantizar "un legado" para la sociedad chilena.

El Plan de Infraestructura tendrá una inversión de 170 millones de dólares por parte del gobierno dentro del monto de los 507 millones del presupuesto para los Juegos.

El anuncio se conoce en la antesala de una importante reunión del Comité Ejecutivo de Panam Sports, en menos de un mes, en San Juan, Puerto Rico, que además de pasar revista al contexto chileno – como ocurrió en diciembre último en Fort Lauderdale -- definirá el programa deportivo de Santiago 2023 y de los I Juegos Panamericanos Junior Cali 2021, agendas muy vinculadas a los planes de infraestructuras de las sedes.

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