The Minister of Sports and Recreation, Francisco Camacho, in an unprecedented event, awarded 350,000 pesos to the medal winners of the recently concluded Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games, thus matching the incentives given to the medalists of the Pan American Games.
Similarly, the Dominican Taekwondo Federation (Fedotae) recognized the most outstanding associations, clubs and athletes of the year 2023 and presented them with plaques, plus cash prizes, for their valuable participation in international competitions.
On the other hand, Olympic Solidarity of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), through the Dominican Taekwondo Federation awarded US$60,000 and five scholarships for advanced studies amounting to US$12,000 to athletes Bernardo Pie, Madelin Rodríguez, Mayerlin Mejía, Cristopher Reyes and Moisés Hernández, medal winners in the past XIX Pan American Games Santiago 2023.
All this took place within a festive Christmas atmosphere celebrated by Fedotae in the halls of the Dominican Sports Hall of Fame Museum, where Paralympic athletes Geraldo Castro, silver medal winner in the men’s 63 kg taekwondo at the VII Parapan American Games in Santiago de Chile, received 200,000 pesos; Julio Armando Figuereo, 150,000 for the bronze in the over 80 kg category, and coach Oscar Maldonado was also awarded 50,000 pesos.
“With these awards we are making history in Dominican Paralympic sport,” said Minister Camacho when handing out the incentives.
Meanwhile, the president of the Dominican Taekwondo Federation, Miguel Camacho, highlighted the Monte Plata Taekwondo Association as the best of 2023 and awarded it a prize of 50,000 pesos, which was also declared the School of the Year.
However, in the clubs there was a tie between Monte Plata and Santiago, for which coach Juan Junior Mejia Mercedes (Bruce Lee), of the Diego Soriano Taekwondo School, and Rafael Grullon, of the Grullon Taekwondo Center, each received 25,000 pesos from the Fedotae.
Other athletes recognized for their outstanding participation in the XXIV San Salvador 2023 Games, where they won gold medals, and for their silver medals in the Chile Games were Michael Orozco and Wander González (Taekwondo Team), Mayerling Mejía (gold in the Pan American Games and silver in El Salvador), Andrelys Bonilla (silver in El Salvador Team), Madelyn Rodríguez (silver in El Salvador and gold in Chile Team) and Moisés Hernández (bronze in El Salvador).
In addition, Katherine Rodríguez (bronze in El Salvador and gold in Chile Team) and Ana Patricia Peña, for her bronze medal in Poomsae in El Salvador.
The Dominican Taekwondo Federation also recognized referee Estefany Quiroz and athlete Joel Vilorio, bronze medal in poomsae pair. Also to the coach Oscar Maldonado Ventura, Manuel René Mateo, physical trainer, and Johndel Pérez, for their performance in the multidisciplinary games.
Source: Presidencia.gob.do
