Santo Domingo, the underdog, was chosen on Sunday, 6 December as the host city for the 2003 Pan American Games. Santo Domingo defeated the cities of Guadalajara, Mexico and Medellín, Colombia. Guadalajara had offered the most perks, but regional solidarity, primarily the vote of fellow Caribbean islands, resulted in the win of the Dominican capital city. Members of the general assembly of the Pan American Sports Organization gathered in Panama City selected Santo Domingo in a second round of voting. The DR based its campaign on being a small country that had heroically lifted itself from the ravages of Hurricane Georges and that could host the games. Hoy newspaper reported that the DR won 28-24 over Mexico. Colombia supported the DR in the second round. In the first round the DR achieved 24 votes to 21 of Guadalajara and six of Colombia. Four years ago, Santo Domingo had lost the bid to host the 1999 Games to Winnipeg, Canada by one vote. The city needs now to embark on a major sports facility reconstruction program. The Minister of Public Works Diandino Peña said that the commitment of the Fernández administration is to repair all sports facilities that will be needed for the Games, for which has committed RD$100 million. The construction of additional facilities is responsibility of the government that will be elected in year 2000. The event is expected to boost sports development and tourism as it focuses the attention of the sports press on the city for the next four years. Santo Domingo hosted the Central American and Caribbean Sports Games in 1974.
