It is not yet official, but the news daily Listin Diario says that "irrefutably credible" sources tell it that the Twelfth National Games (Romana ’99), scheduled to be held next year in La Romana, will be delayed until the year 2000 because of damage to sports facilities caused by Hurricane Georges. The National Games, last held in Mao in 1997, are the major Olympic-style competition for Dominican athletes. Listin says that a report on the state of the region’s sports facilities prepared for Sports Minister Juan Marichal suggested that the games be postponed to February or March 2000. The 13-page report has been delivered by Marichal to President Fernández, who is expected to issue soon an official announcement about the Games. Listin’s source said that work would have to begin immediately on preparing the facilities if even the February-March 2000 target is to be met. The damages to sports facilities in the eastern Dominican Republic total RD$46 million, says the report prepared by the Sports Ministry. Nearly every facility in La Romana was affected, including the La Romana sports complex (characterized as nearly destroyed, with damages estimated at RD$10 million), and the Leoncio Mercedes Coliseum and Francisco Micheli Stadium, both characterized as seriously affected. Asked by rival news daily Hoy about the Listin story, Marichal merely responded, "I don’t know where they got the news" that La Romana ’99 would be postponed, since he has not been informed of any presidential decision to that effect.
