Hector Garcia
With 53 years in these media, I don’t like half ink, I have always gone head-on and exposed my points of view without the intention of doing harm, but I believe that I have a duty to express my concern about the actions of these new incumbents of the Dominican Olympic Committee, who from my humble appreciation, I think so far, have not met the expectations created.
It took me a while to write about the current situation of the COD. I did it this way to give time to the initiatives of its president Garibaldy Bautista, José Manuel Ramos, vice president, Luis Chanlatte, general secretary, José Mera, treasurer and other veteran friends who make up the leadership of the governing body of the Olympic movement.
I have seen many executive committees of the Dominican Olympic Committee pass by, and from lived experience, I can assure you that the omens of this new COD are not good.
Having met three times in three months says it all. Everything indicates that three months have been wasted, since they have not yet taken a single measure that has impacted society, after so many mistakes in the past administration.
What will happen to the COD? That nobody knows. All the things that were denounced in the campaign have been left up in the air.
I thought, mistakenly it seems, that a serious attempt was going to be made to clean up the federations indicated with serious problems. There was an announcement that the fencing, surfing and badminton federations would be intervened, after serious allegations of irregularities, but it turns out that the COD has delegated its responsibilities to Neftali Santana, legal adviser to the Olympic committee, who has the files like a very treasure trove. well kept, perhaps playing oblivion.
Like others, we bet that it was possible to correct some mistakes and that transparency was going to be the strong side of this new administration.
However, there have been no answers to the crucial issues that keep that organization in an inexplicable lethargy: Olympic hostel, 2023 sub-host games, Pan American Games in Chile, athlete preparation, transparency, monitoring of federation conflicts: fencing, surfing. , badminton, among others, sanctions through a consequence regime, as well as short- and long-term plans.
All these issues are pending and it requires will and determination to launch an institution that has seen great sportsmen, with whom we share and fight great battles in favor of sport.
Hopefully the presence of Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, serves as motivation for these friends of the COD and they return to the right path, because so far, it seems to me that it is a Cadmean victory, which does more harm than good and that causes the ruin of the victor.
