The Fourth National Games of the Special Olympics will open Thursday at Santo Domingo’s Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Complex. First in the U.S. 30 years ago, the Special Olympics is nonprofit program of sports training and competition for individuals with mental retardation or physical handicaps that seeks to improve the sense of self-worth of these individuals. Special Olympics provide year-round training and athletic competition for more than one million athletes in nearly 150 countries. For this year’s national-level games in the DR, some 450 athletes from across the country will compete. The opening ceremony will be held in the gymnastics pavilion at 3:30 pm, and includes a welcoming from Sports Minister Juan Marichal. The games will be held through Sunday, February 14th.
