Former Minister of Sports Cristobal Marte accused Dominican sports leaders of being lazy, incapable, jealous, selfish and unorganized. Interviewed by Hoy newspaper, he said that the country has many sports leaders who can’t even read and write. Marte is vice president of the International Volleyball Federation and is known as responsible for the development of women’s volleyball in the DR. He said that the women’s volleyball team will fight for the gold medal in the 2002 San Salvador Central American and Caribbean Games and for the bronze in the Santo Domingo 2003 Pan American Games. He said that in the country there is a sports structure that promotes an organized chaos so that a small group can profit. He said that the men and women that want to work in favor of sports are subject to great pressures and blackmail by this group of leaders that are capable of anything to make a buck. "I am not criticizing Cesar Cedeño, the present Minister of Sports, nor the previous, this is something that has years in the making," he said. He said that he did not accept President Mejía’s suggestion to be part of the organizing committee of the Pan American Games because when he visited the organizers and requested documents on the critical route, budget, organizers, none of this information was provided to him. He said that he felt he could make a greater contribution from outside of the organizing structure because if he were part he would demand that those on salary justify with their work their salaries. Marte told Hoy newspaper that things have changed at the Organizing Committee with the naming of Raul Barrientos as executive vice president. Barrientos is in charge of the financial aspects, and Dr. Jose Joaquin Puello Herrera was entrusted with the preparing of the athletes. Marte urged that the National Sports Games be revised so that they fulfill their objective of sports development in the provinces. He said that today, they serve more a political purpose than a sports purpose. Furthermore, he said that it is true that former President Joaquin Balaguer is not in favor of building sports installations for the Pan American Games at the Mirador del Este Park. He said he was there when the project was presented to Balaguer.
