It was an unceremonious Tuesday in Santo Domingo, but an incredibly important occasion for Centro Caribe Sports President Luis Mejía. His organization had gathered the region’s media, along with a few international journalists, to preview the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games. An occurrence he could have only dreamed about nearly two years ago.
Mejía spoke with a cautious, yet determined tone. His organization had survived a crisis that nearly saw the world’s oldest regional multi-sport games canceled for only the second time in their history. He told reporters that it was a, “miracle without precedent,” that the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games were only days away from taking place in El Salvador.
Originally, Panama was awarded the honor and responsibility of organizing the 24th edition of the Central American and Caribbean Games. The country’s government promised funding and support, with local organizers touting an innovative plan to utilize local hotels for athlete lodging. However, the situation changed dramatically once the Covid-19 pandemic reached Central America. By July 2020, Panama made public its intention to withdraw as host of the Games. Centro Caribe Sports was caught by complete surprise.
However, the organization soon got to work on finding a replacement host for the Games. Puerto Rico and El Salvador expressed interest in the event, but the Salvadoran bid emerged as the only real option. Thus, it was in their greatest hour of need that Centro Caribe Sports found salvation in the form of El Salvador.
Nayib Bukele
With limited time to organize the Games, there was always a chance they would need to be postponed or even canceled once more. Centro Caribe Sports weathered the storm of uncertainty, and arrived at Tuesday’s press conference with a cautious optimism. Mejía explained how the government of El Salvador had been proactively involved in the organization of the event, especially President Nayib Bukele. He explained how a symbiotic relationship had formed between the government, local organizers, and Centro Caribe Sports. In his own words, “Centro Caribe Sports, and specifically COSAN 2023, decided to wear the suit, so that the athletes can compete without any grievances.”
While El Salvador will host a majority of the events, future host Santo Domingo will also play a significant role in the organization of the Games. The Dominican capital will host six sports at five different venues. A unique arrangement for a unique event.
Turks and Caicos Islands
The Central American and Caribbean Games were conceived by regional sports leaders during the 1924 Summer Olympics. The first edition of the event was realized a mere two years later in Mexico City. Only three countries: Cuba, Guatemala, and Mexico, were present at the Games. Nonetheless, the event has grown considerably since then.
There will be 37 regional entities in attendance this year, including a few that lack recognition by the International Olympic Committee. It will be a rare opportunity for athletes from Curaçao, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Sint Maarten, and the Turks and Caicos Islands to compete under their own banners. It will be only the second time athletes from those entities are allowed to compete for medals.
The importance of the regional event was not lost on Meíja. He told Discover the Games, “The Central American and Caribbean Games are a platform for preparation for our athletes, but we also get to see them. When you can see your own athletes, in your region close to you with your delegations, that’s a plus. If this serves as preparation for them, then even better.”
‘New World’
Meíja emphasized the historic importance of the event, while keeping an eye on the future. “This is the oldest regional sports organization in the world. For us, it is extremely important that in 2026, in Santo Domingo where the discovery of the ‘New World’ was made, we will have the 25th edition of the Games.” It might be slightly premature to look towards the future considering the current edition of the event has yet to begin. Nonetheless, Meìja’s resolve to see the event to fruition remained strong. He concluded the press conference, saying, “in El Salvador, something big has been done. Let’s move forward. It is time to move forward.”
The 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games will begin on July 23. Athletes will contest 447 unique events across 37 sports in the hope of getting their hands on one of the 1,453 medals made for the event. The newest edition of the world’s oldest regional multi-sport games will come to a close on July 8, as will one of the longer chapters in the storied event’s history.