Dr. Jose Joaquin Puello told the press yesterday that executives from the Mexican television company, OTI would arrive within a few days to finalize the contract to be signed with the Organizing Committee for television rights for the Pan Am Games. He estimated the Games will have an audience of 500 million persons. During a talk with the members of the Santo Domingo Sports Writers Association, Puello briefed the press on other developments with the Games. He commented that the DR could forget about a mass athletes development program to prepare athletes for the Pan Am Games. He said that too much time has been lost and that there is just time to prepare the top Dominican athletes, about 70 men and women. He explained that the core of best athletes will be selected to participate in the San Salvador Central American and Caribbean Games in 2002, and that same team will be sent abroad to train for the Pan Am Games. He said the country has received the support and funding for the training from several countries and will be accepting these offers to prepare the Dominican team. He mentioned that athletes will be sent to the US to train in North Carolina, Chula Vista in California and Colorado Springs. He said that the fencing team will be sent to France; weightlifting to Hungary; volleyball to Italy; judo to Spain. In regards to baseball, he is hopeful the DR can win the gold medal. He hopes the country can put together a team of Triple A and Double AA players from the Major Leagues. "We cannot show up here, before a Dominican public, with a team that does not meet the expectations from a competitive point of view," he said. He said he is in talks with the winter ball professional league and the National Baseball Commissioner Mackey Calzada who is assisting in the preparing of the national baseball team. The Dominican Republic recently won the Caribbean Baseball Series and is a major exporter of baseball talent to the US. The problem with attracting big name talent is that the Games summer date coincides with the finals of the Major League baseball season. Regardless, Pedro Martinez has said he would like to pitch a game, if allowed by the Boston Red Sox. He expressed his hope that if work can be started now, the country could win about 15 medals. "It is a matter of starting to receive the needed funds on time from the government. The truth is that there is no time to lose," he said. Puello said that he has received promises from the Ministry of Public Works for RD$112 million to build missing sports venues at the Mirador del Este Park. Also RD$113 million is pending from the Venezuelan Investment Fund for the renovation of the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center. Puello said that to prepare for the Games, several regional tournaments will be held in Santo Domingo. Puello said that he has pending a meeting with President Mejia to discuss the importance of the government meeting the flow of funds programmed for the Games. The government allotted RD$365 million for the Pan Am Games Organization in the 2001 National Budget.
