The president of the Dominican Olympic Committee, Jose Joaquin Puello, supports a proposal to seek athletes abroad who may best represent the Dominican Republic in the 2003 Pan American Games. A lack of funds in the years leading up to the Games has prevented the Olympic Committee from preparing athletes at home, reducing the number of athletes who are of Pan American Games caliber. But this could be resolved if the Dominican team is reinforced with Dominicans who train abroad. "The possible arrival of Dominican athletes who live abroad and come back here to participate in the 2003 Pan Am Games is an excellent and fabulous idea that we are going to put into practice," said Jose Joaquin Puello, president of the Olympic Committee and the Pan Am Games Organizing Committee. Carlos Hernandez, a Dominican who lives in Puerto Rico, proposed the idea. Puello said Dominicans training in US and Puerto Rican universities will be pursued.
