President Hip?lito Mej?a said yesterday that he would dedicate himself full time to the Pan American Games over the coming days. He defended the costly installations the government has built for the 1-17 August event and said, ?Any investment that is made in sports is useful and timely because 60% of the Dominican population is young. That is why we have not cut corners, so that these Games become a reality.?
Mej?a also said those opposed do not understand that the venues built in the Parque del Este will serve more than one million people, and he mentioned the 5,000-person capacity of the amphitheater built in the park, which he claims meets the standards of the amphitheater of La Romana.
?We are going to show many people that pessimism can be defeated when there is determination to accomplish such things as we have done for the celebration of the Pan Am Games.?
In defense of what critics call extravagant installations, Mej?a remains optimistic that all investment money will be recovered with the use of the venues for future international sports events and tourism promotion. ?These works will serve to promote the country as a touristic destination ? not only for beaches, but also for sports,? he said.
Hoy newspaper?s column ?Tras los Pan Am? comments that for such a thing to happen, the government would need to triple the budget of the Ministry of Sports in 2004 in order to fund a continuation of sports events at the facilities.
Mej?a seemed to accept the reality of the expensive venues when during the Una Vez por Semana TV show he compared the staging of the Pan Am Games to the preparations for a big party. ?The people, in a very expensive party, pay to dance, swear and tire and then, on the next day, what you have is a hangover,? he commented, as reported in List?n Diario.
A recent Gallup poll published in Diario Libre showed that 55% of Dominicans support the Pan Am Games.