A former director of the National Physical Education Institute, Emigdio de Peña urged that the National Sports Games return to Santo Domingo, the capital city. In an interview with the Listín Diario newspaper he said that the celebration of the National Sports Games is very profitable for several, because of the mega constructions they require. But he says the Dominican athletes are the big losers. He said that 90% of the millionaire sports facilities that have been built around the nation are in ruins, due to lack of maintenance and construction flaws. He said that the celebration of the games in Santo Domingo would allow athletes from all around the country to visit Santo Domingo. He said this would enable the government to invest the moneys spent to build the millionaire facilities in the provinces in the real development of regional athletes. Furthermore, De Peña urged a prophylaxis of the Dominican Olympic Committee. He said that Olympic Committee president, Dr. José Joaquin Puello is the "caudillo" of Dominican sports, who has maintained himself at the pinnacle of Domincian sports with the support of a group of sports leaders who he said make a living off their sports federations. He said that as happens in governments, in the Olympic pyramid there is much corruption and the way to rid the movement of this is by dethroning the leaders. He said in the DR there are sports directors that have built their homes and fortune and even gone beyond this, profiting from sports. He said that sports in the DR needs new leadership, and was critical of those that have 20 years at the helm of a Federation, managing these as if they were their personal property or their own company. He said the long terms of the sports leaders in the Olympic Committee, sports federations, sports associations and even neighborhood sports clubs leads to mediocrity. The next National Sports Games are slated for La Romana in February 2000. Sports in the DR are at an all-time low, most sports centers are in a state of abandon. The present Olympic Committee directors have argued that the celebration of the Pan American Sports Games in 2003 in Santo Domingo will spur better times for sports.
