A special commission designated to start the preparation process for the 2003 Pan American (PanAm) Games delivered their initial report to President Fern?ndez at the National Palace yesterday. A delegation from the special commission formed by the Dominican Olympic Committee (COD) was led by COD President Dr. Jos? Joaqu?n Puello and COD Secretary-General Luis?n Mej?a Oviedo and was accompanied by the Sports Minister, baseball legend Juan Marichal, and Public Works Minister Diandino Pe?a. The report covered not only the commitments made by the DR in the course of winning the bid to host the Games, but the tasks that lie ahead in getting preparations underway.Among the issues the Commission discussed with the President were the composition of the official Organizing Committee for the 2003 Games, and more specifically, who should head the Organizing Committee. Rumors have been circulating in the Dominican press that businessman Jos? Le?n Asensio would be named President of the Organizing Committee, but yesterday he officially declined the honor in a letter to the COD. Le?n Asensio said that the preparations his firm, E. Le?n Jimenes, is undertaking to celebrate its 100th anniversary in the year 2003 would preclude his devoting attention to the PanAm Games. Sports Minister Marichal told reporters after the meeting that the membership of the Organizing Committee, including its President, will likely be officially announced at a media event tentatively slated for February 21st.The COD officials and Minister Marichal also reportedly discussed plans for the DR’s participation in this July’s PanAm Games in Winnipeg, Canada; preparations for the National Games in La Romana this year, and repairs needed at the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center in Santo Domingo after the damage wrought by Hurricane Georges.
