President Luis Abinader celebrated the election of Punta Cana as the host city for the 146th Session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in 2027, emphasizing that this decision confirms the trust the world places in the Dominican Republic, N Digital reports. “We continue to project a nation that is organized and capable of hosting world-class events,” said the President, highlighting the country’s commitment to the development of tourism, sports, and international diplomacy.
El Caribe reported that the DR received a positive vote of 93 countries to two against. The DR competed against destinations in Czech Republic, Montenegro, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
As stated by President Abinader, the importance of the designation is that Punta Cana has been hard working since the pandemic in 2020 to consolidate itself as a major destination for sports tourism. Events such as the 146th Session help position the country in sports tourism.
This is the first time since Buenos Aires 2018 that the IOC holds its assembly in a Spanish-speaking countries.
Punta Cana was chosen for the 2027 meeting during the 144th session held in Greece in which the members of the International Olympic Committee also voted to elect Kirsty Coventry as the new president of the IOC. The 2026 annual assembly, the 145th, will be held in Milano, Italy.
An IOC press note explained that the selection of Punta Cana as the venue for the 2027 IOC Session is “an unprecedented milestone” for the Caribbean nation. The IOC Session is the supreme decision-making body of the Olympic movement, where strategic issues are discussed and the host city for future Olympic Games is chosen.
This event is expected to have a significant economic and media impact on the country, attracting delegations from over 200 national Olympic committees, as well as international sports figures and global media outlets. The event is a major step ahead in efforts to solidify Punta Cana’s position as an ideal destination not only for tourism but also for hosting high-level international congresses and events.
Kirsty Coventry, the newly elected 10th President of the International Olympic Committee, will head the deliberations in 2027. The 41-year-old Zimbabwean was chosen in a secret ballot of seven candidates at the 144th IOC Session being held in Costa Navarino, Greece, on Thursday (20 March 2025), for an eight-year term of office.
In making the announcement, the IOC said that the hosting of the event in Punta Cana marks the return of the Olympic Movement to the Caribbean 38 years after the 95th IOC Session was held in Puerto Rico in 1989.
To the tune of Juan Luis Guerra’s “Farolito”, Luisin Mejia, former president of the Dominican Olympic Committee, danced at the podium during the hosting bid presentation, bringing smiles to all.
The IOC reported that the Dominican Republic’s Olympic Committee, led by its president, Garibaldy Bautista, had earlier expressed immense pride and enthusiasm for the opportunity to host the IOC Session, and the colorful presentation today, led by IOC Member in the Dominican Republic Luis Mejía Oviedo, brought a touch of Caribbean culture and flavor to the ongoing session. Other participants in promoting the DR were the Dominican Republic’s two-time Olympic gold medalist Felix Sanchez, and sports philantrophist Felipe Vicini.
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Olympics
N Digital
El Caribe
25 March 2025