In an unprecedented event, the Dominican Government, through the Ministry of Sports (Miderec) and the Presidential Commission for the Support of Provincial Development, will build five multi-purpose centers in the emblematic clubs Gregorio Luperón, 12 de Octubre, Gustavo Behal, Hugo Kunhardt and the Miramar League at a cost of over 200 million pesos.
The Administrative Minister of the Presidency, Igor Rodríguez Durán, handed over a certificate for 105,744,607 pesos and 45 cents to Francisco Camacho, Minister of Sports, for the construction of the basketball roofs, during a ceremony held under an inclement sun at the Gregorio Luperón Club, in the Dubocq expansion of the city of Puerto Plata.
Miderec will be responsible for the sports centers of the Gregorio Luperón, 12 de Octubre and Miramar League clubs, while the Presidential Commission for the Support of Provincial Development will build the Gustavo Behal and Hugo Kunhardt centers.
Francisco Camacho
Minister Camacho highlighted that Luis Abinader is the president of the country who has invested the most in muscle and mind activities.
“In school sports facilities alone, 185 courts are being roofed, not counting those being built by the Ministry of Sports and those being built by Angel de la Cruz in the Provincial Development Support Commission and the Administrative Ministry of the Presidency,” he emphasized.
“Never before has a president invested so much money in sports in this country and he does it because he knows that sports, health and education must go hand in hand,” Camacho affirmed. “For every peso that is invested in sports, five pesos are not spent on health, and the president is very clear about this,” he added.
He also highlighted the benefits it provides to children and young people, but, above all, that it becomes a better nation, by combining studies with sports.
Engineer Camacho also praised Rodríguez Durán because he has been a facilitator for the construction and renovation of sports facilities in the “Bride of the Atlantic” and throughout the country.
“I wish we had 20 Igor (Rodríguez) in sports because the youth of the country needs him, brother,” he said while looking at the official and to the applause of the children’s and youth basketball teams of both branches of the Gregorio Luperón Club, as well as the general public.
Igor Rodríguez
Minister Rodríguez Durán, meanwhile, considered that the good results obtained are mainly due to the teamwork that has been carried out on the instructions of the President.
“We are a team”, he pointed out, and then explained the importance of having roofs in a Caribbean country where it is very difficult to play sports during most of the day due to the aggressive sun.
“We have, as a society, to prevent young people who want to play sports from engaging in bad practices and it is the Dominican government, together with a responsible community, that has to make it possible for these things to happen,” he said.
Minister Rodríguez Durán clarified that the criterion that prevailed to build these five roofs is because these are the five clubs that participate in the Superior Basketball Tournament here, but that they will not be the only ones.
He indicated that in the next few days the José Briceño baseball stadium, which in the past was a meeting point for the sportsmen of the city, who sadly contemplated how its lights went out, how its towers fell down and how all its infrastructure deteriorated, will be inaugurated completely renovated.
Rodríguez also gave a contribution of 1,500,000 pesos to the Puerto Plata Basketball Association, presided by Asdriel Pérez, so that the Navegantes de Puerto Plata team can participate in the National Under-22 Tournament, as well as another of 4,700,000 pesos to its directors for the purchase of a bus.
The president of the Dominican Basketball Federation, Rafael Uribe, said that the announcement of the construction of these five sports centers, where cultural, festive, religious and other activities will also take place, is very gratifying for the entire national sport.
The welcoming remarks were made by the provincial governor, Claritza Rochtte Peralta, who highlighted the support given by Ministers Rodríguez Durán and Camacho to sports in the area.
The activity was also attended by deputies Claritza Estévez, Emil Durán and Johnny Medina; the deputy director of Customs, Arnulfo Pascual; Vinicio Clase, provincial director of Sports, and the executives of the Marineros del Atlántico, the team that holds the representation of the province in the National Basketball League, among others.
Source:Presidencia.gob.do
