International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) president Joseph (Sepp) Blatter met with President Danilo Medina at the Presidential Palace yesterday. Medina expressed his interest in spreading the practice of the sport in public schools in the DR, amongst girls, and especially in public schools located in provinces that border with Haiti. Haiti has a strong football culture.
While visiting the DR as part of his tour of the Caribbean and Central America (Haiti, DR, Cuba and Panama), Blatter acknowledged that football has the big challenge of matching the popularity of baseball in countries such as the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic recently won the World Baseball Classic, positioning itself as the land that has the best baseball players.
On his tour of Haiti, Cuba, Panama and the DR, Blatter is accompanied by FIFA’s general secretary Jerome Valcke and CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Football Associations) president Jeffy Webb.
“Of course we know that there is another sport in this country that is more important than soccer, and this is a challenge for soccer, especially for president (of the Dominican Republic’s Football Federation) Osiris Guzman and his group, so that one day, I don’t know when, soccer will be recognized in this country on the same level,” said Blatter.
During his visit here, Blatter will also take part in the formal opening of the Goal 3 Project that includes renovating the Panamerican Stadium and the start of a new football field in southwestern San Cristobal.
At the meeting at the Presidential Palace, President Medina was accompanied by Minister of Sports Jaime David Fernandez, Deputy Minister Marcos Diaz, the president of the Dominican Olympic Committee Luis Mejia and the president of the Dominican Federation of Football (Fedofutbol) Osiris Guzman.
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