President Luis Abinader received this Tuesday the Tigres del Licey, champion team of the Professional Baseball League of the Dominican Republic (Lidom) for the 2023-2024 season, who will represent the country in the Caribbean Series, to begin on Thursday, February 1, in Miami, United States.
During the ceremony, held in the Ambassadors Hall of the National Palace, the President, accompanied by Vice President Raquel Peña, predicted success for the Tigres del Licey and took the opportunity to inform that they are working to convert the Dominican Baseball Commission into a specialized unit with its own resources and personnel, to collaborate with the academies and the entire sector to ensure that the sport continues to advance.
At the same time, he said, they seek to organize and regulate the academies in the best way, so that young people can not only come out already as major league ballplayers, but also those who do not can receive an education of their own so that they can be incorporated into other areas of Dominican society.
“We are going to continue promoting baseball through the formation of this unit to improve more and more so that the Dominican Republic not only continues to be, but consolidates itself as a baseball power in the region and in the world,” said the governor.
He added that baseball is not only a sport, but also a great industry for the Dominican Republic in economic terms and for what it represents for thousands of young people.
The head of state expressed that the Licey is a great team that will represent the Dominican Republic with dignity and was confident that they will also win the Caribbean Series. “Licey today represents the country, we are all Licey players and we are sure that they will come with the championship”.
On his side, the Minister of Sports, Francisco Camacho, congratulated the Tigres del Licey and all their fans and expressed that he has no doubt that they will be the champions of the Caribbean, “because not only will nine players be on the field, but 11 million Dominicans will be with you, waiting for each of your performances and we know that with the faith, the desire to win and with the passion that you have, you will know how to represent the country and will return to the Dominican Republic as the true champions of the Caribbean Series”.
Meanwhile, the president of the Lidom, Vitelio Mejía, said that the Dominican league has grown because of the work of its six franchises, its coaches, its sponsors, the sustained support it has received from the administration of President Abinader in everything that has represented any need they have had.
Likewise, the president of the Tigres del Licey, Ricardo Ravelo, expressed that this team is now a representative of the Dominican Republic and that they are going to the Caribbean Series with a competitive team that will put the country on high and like last year, bring the crown.
The Head of State gave the Dominican flag to the Indigo team, which will have its first game of the tournament on Thursday against Venezuela.
The President also received the jersey that the Dominican team will wear in the tournament with the number 1 and the surname Abinader and the Vice President with the number 2 and the surname Peña.
The Caribbean celebration will take place from February 1 to 9 at LoanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins, a Major League Baseball team, where, in addition to the Dominican team, the champions of Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Mexico, Panama, Nicaragua and Curacao will participate.
During the welcoming ceremony were present, the ministers of the Presidency, Joel Santos and Administrative of the Presidency (interim), Igor Rodríguez; the national commissioner of Baseball, Junior Noboa; the general manager of the Tigres del Licey, Audo Vicente; the director of Operations, Richard Jiménez; the vice president/past champion president 2013-2014, Miguel Guerra; the treasurer/past champion president 2016-2017, Miguel Ángel Fernández and the directors, Federico González, Domingo Pichardo, Rafael Úbeda and Jaime Alsina.
Also, members of the Dominican Baseball Commissioner, Carlos Solano and Diógenes de la Cruz; manager Gilbert Gómez; pitching coach, Rafael Chávez; bench coach, José Humbría and infield coach, Anderson Hernández; as well as team captain, Emilio Bonifacio, and César Valdez.
Source: Presidencia.gob.do
