Minister of Sports Cesar Cedeño signed an agreement with the Cuban government for the hiring of 23 new coaches. This is a follow up to a previous agreement by which 23 coaches worked in the DR for two years. Despite requests by the local sports federations, the Cuban government chose not to renew the contracts of the first coaches, and instead will be sending new people. Given the situation in Cuba, it would be assumed that the jobs in the DR are seen as awards distributed to the lucky few. The coaches will remain in the DR for three years, so that they can be here to complete the process of preparing Dominican athletes for the Santo Domingo 2003 Pan American Games. The agreement was signed by Minister Cesar Cedeño and Pedro Rodriguez, representative of Cubadeportes in the presence of Cuban Ambassador Miguel Pérez Cruz, Cuban consul Sergio Medina García, and the president of the Dominican Olympic Committee, José Joaquín Puello. Cuba will be sending track and field, swimming (water polo, synchronized swimming, swimming, diving), tennis, table tennis, skeet, handball, gymnastics and cycling coaches. They are expected to arrive at the end of September or beginning of October. As per the agreement, the Dominican government covers most of the expenses of the Cubans and makes monthly payments to the Cuban government for the coaches.
