Dominican Republic's Luis Mejía Oviedo (left) and Christopher Samuda.
Luis Mejía Oviedo of the Dominican Republic was re-elected President of Centro Caribe Sports for the period 2023-2027, during the Ordinary General Assembly of the sports organization, held at the Sheraton Hotel in Santiago, Chile on Monday.
Mejía, who was unopposed for the position was given a standing ovation which served as approval for him to continue at the helm of the organization, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2024.
Centro Caribe Sports celebrated the 24th Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in San Salvador last June, and made its debut with beach sports, courtesy of the first Central American and Caribbean Beach Games in Santa Marta in November 2022.
Oviedo will be shadowed by Cuba’s Roberto Richards, Jamaica’s Christopher Samuda and María José Soto Gil of Venezuela in the three vice-president slots.
Samuda, said his accepting a vice-president role is aimed at ensuring the regional sporting body, and, by extension, the CAC Games, maintains or even enhances their prominence.
The Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) president earned 33 votes to the six earned by his challenger Mario Alphonso Garcia de la Torre, the Secretary General of the Mexican Olympic Committee.
“I accept the second vice-presidency for Centro Caribe Sports not in a personal capacity, but in a representative role as a citizen of Jamaica, a regionalist of the Caribbean and a member of the Centro Caribe Sports family. The CAC Games is our primary asset and must be made to be an equal partner in sport development and excellence.
“For me, it will be business extraordinaire as we at Centro Caribe Sports continue to build the reputational, capital and cultural value and the currency of the apex body which is the owner and host of the oldest multi-sport regional games, the Central American and Caribbean Games,” Samuda, who is currently in Chile for the Pan-American (PanAm) Games, told SportsMax.TV.
“For me, it will be business extraordinaire in repurposing, repositioning the CAC Games as a leading model and a commercial sporting concern. It is about building an ethos that inspires the confidence of coaches and athletes and their support for the games as a calendar event. It will be business extraordinaire in just simply governing right in providing leadership as an example in the sporting fraternity,” he added.
Other sports leaders from the region that make up the new Executive Committee, includes, Colombia’s Ciro Solano Hurtado, Treasurer; Sara Rosario of Puerto Rico, Secretary General; Haiti’s Hans Larsen, First Vocal; Angel Morales of the US Virgin Islands, Second Vocal and Cyril Cameron Burke of Barbados, Third Vocal.
Felipe Vicini of the Dominican Republic will serve as a representative of the Organizing Committee for the 25th Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo in 2026.
The two vacant vocal positions will be elected in a virtual Extraordinary Assembly on a date to be confirmed in accordance with the statutes of Centro Caribe Sports, and as confirmed by the Legal Commission chaired by Samuda.
During the Ordinary General Assembly, the reports of the Central American and Caribbean Games San Salvador 2023 and Santo Domingo 2026, were presented, as well as the presentation and approval for the second edition of the Central American and Caribbean Beach Games to be held in 2025 in Costa Rica.
President Mejía Oviedo confirmed that each member of the Executive Committee will chair a working commission, which were established during the first period of his leadership.
Judy Simons, former President of the Bermuda National Olympic Committee, announced her retirement from the Executive Committee and was recognised by Centro Caribe Sports with a plaque for her sterling contribution to the regional body and sport in the region.
Sherdon Cowan is a five-time award-winning journalist with 10 years' experience covering sports.
Jamaica's 4x400m women, T&T's men book tickets to Paris
Jamaica’s 4x400m women have also booked their place at the Olympic Games in Paris this summer by winning the second round heat at the World Relays in the Bahamas on Sunday. The same four women lined up for the heat with the difference being that Roneisha McGregor running the lead off leg, Charokee Young on the second leg, Ashley Williams on the third leg and Junelle Bromfield on anchor.
The changes proved effective as the Jamaicans ran away with the heat winning impressively in 3:38.54.
India is also on their way to Paris after they finished in second place in a time of 3:29.35.
The Netherlands (3:27.45) and Switzerland (3:28.30) are also through along with Belgium (3:26.79) and Spain (3:27.30), a national record.
Meanwhile, Jamaica’s men will have to find another route to Paris after finished fifth in their heat and failed to qualify.
Trinidad and Tobago, though, produced a brave performance to secure a place in Paris. The quartet of Asa Guevara, Jereem Richards, Che Lara and Shakeem McKay battled hard to hold off France and seal the the final qualifying spot. Brazil won the heat in 3:01.86 with the brave Trinidadians finishing in 3:02.39.
Jamaica and Trinidad women shine to book 4x100m relay spots in Paris
Jamaica continued their resurgence from a disappointing first day at the World Relays in the Bahamas when they won their heat in round two of the 4x100m relays to advance to book their tickets to Paris this summer.
Using the same foursome – Jodean Smith, Tia Clayton, Alana Reid and Remona Burchell - that ran on Saturday, changed their running order with Burchell and Reid – switching positions on the third and fourth legs.
The change worked like a charm as they sped to victory in 42.74 seconds to advance to the final and onto Paris.
Jamaica’s Caribbean neighbours, Trinidad and Tobago will also be in Paris this summer. The quartet of Taejha Badal, Reese Webster, Reyare Thomas and Leah Bertrand finished second in 43.54 to advance as automatic qualifiers to the Olympic Games.
Italy, who won the first heat in 42.60 and second-place finishers Côte d'Ivoire (42.63) as well as Nigeria (42.71), winners of heat three and Switzerland (42.75) are also off to the Olympic Games.
The Bahamas and Jamaica book 4x400m Mixed Relay spots in Paris
The Bahamas and Jamaica rebounded at the World Athletics Relays in the Bahamas, securing their places at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris this summer during round two of the 4x400m mixed relay heats on Sunday.
After a disappointing performance on Saturday, the Bahamas bounced back with a spectacular showing on Sunday, setting a world-leading time of 3:12.81 in the first heat. The Bahamian quartet of Steven Gardiner, Alonzo Russell, Shania Adderley, and Shaunae Miller-Uibo delivered a stellar performance, fending off tough competition from Jamaica, Japan and South Africa, to clinch victory and set a new national record in the process.
Jamaica also sealed their Olympic berth by finishing second in the heat with a time of 3:14.49, showcasing their strength in relay events with the quartet of Zandrian Barnes, Roshawn Clarke, Leah Anderson, and Janieve Russell.
In the subsequent heats, Germany emerged victorious in the second heat with a time of 3:13.85, securing their place in Paris. Switzerland also booked their Olympic spot by finishing closely behind Germany in a national record time of 3:14.12.
Great Britain and Northern Ireland secured their tickets to Paris by winning the third heat with a time of 3:12.99, followed closely by Ukraine in 3:14.49, earning the second qualifying spot from that heat.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
