Twenty-two figures in Dominican sports enter the national hall of fame on Sunday morning at the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center in Santo Domingo.
The Dominican Sports Hall of Fame holds its 60th annual ceremonial starting at 9:30 a.m. local time, honoring athletes, coaches, and administrators who shaped national sports history. Business figure Felipe Vicini serves as the honorary president for the milestone event, alongside institution president Dionisio Guzmán and secretary Rafael Damirón, according to Noticias SIN.
Class of 2026 Selections
The 2026 class features six individual athletes, seven team-sport representatives, and nine promoters. Individual honorees include María García in judo, Yuderqui Contreras in weightlifting, Mariano Reyes in athletics, Juan José Ubaldo Cabrera in boxing, Roberto Brito in table tennis, and Raúl Aguayo in sailing.
Team sports account for five former baseball players: the late national team member Johnny Olivo, Darío Veras, the late Ricardo Joseph, Alex Rodríguez, and Rafael Soriano. Basketball representative Winston Royal and softball player Euclides Solano round out the team selections.
Nine promoters and coaches complete the roster, spanning boxing trainer Víctor Pascual, basketball figure Héctor Báez, weightlifting coach Félix Ogando, table tennis contributor Julio Cross, and former Dominican Olympic Committee president Luis Mejía Oviedo. Additional inductees include taekwondo figure José Ramón Reyes, event producer Andrés Vander Horst, journalist Domingo Saint Hilaire, and baseball and softball statistician Agustín Brea.
Five of the 22 selections receive the honor posthumously: Joseph, Báez, Ogando, Saint-Hilaire, and Olivo.
Javier Sotomayor and Jimmy Thordsen Attend the 60th Edition
Cuban high jump legend Javier Sotomayor and Puerto Rican Athletes Hall of Fame president Jimmy Thordsen attend the event as special guests. The 60th edition honors the Dominican boxing and athletics delegations for their performances at the 25th Central American and Caribbean Games held in the country from July 24 to August 8, Noticias SIN reported.
Hearing-impaired athletics champion Christopher Melenciano carries the national flag, while boxing champion Estefany Almanzar bears the Hall of Fame flag. Boxeador Disney Ezequiel Medina marches with the Laurel, and pole vault silver medalist Jorge Montes holds the Machete.
Ceremonial Schedule
The induction ceremony begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Pabellón de la Fama auditorium in Santo Domingo.
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