Santo Domingo. – This Friday, led by President Luis Abinader, the opening ceremony of the 2025 University Sports Games took place, after a pause of more than 10 years.
For two weeks, 1,843 athletes from 23 higher education institutions nationwide will compete in chess, athletics, basketball, 3×3 basketball, futsal, judo, karate, swimming, softball, taekwondo, tennis, table tennis, volleyball, and beach volleyball.
Amid applause and emotion, the athletes acknowledged the government’s commitment to strengthening sports, which benefits physical and mental health, promotes teamwork, and values such as respect and discipline.
To this, the Minister of Sports, Kelvin Cruz, added that it is a valuable opportunity to keep the focus of young people and lead them towards a better future.
He also reiterated that it was in 2012, the last time the games were held in this modality, and that in this administration, the Border Games and the Juan Pablo Duarte Games in New York were also rescued.
In the words of the rectors of the universities, Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD) and Iberoamericana (UNIBE), Editrudis Beltrán and Odile Camilo Vincent respectively, the houses of Higher Education, in addition to imparting academic knowledge, are spaces for healthy coexistence and well-being through sport.
Headquarters
The UASD, the oldest university in America, will host the basketball, judo, karate, taekwondo, baseball, and softball competitions. Other disciplines will take place at ISFODOSU, UNPHU, the Naco Sports Club, and the Güibia, Eugenio María de Hostos, and Calero Club parks.
Athletes from the interior of the country will be provided with lodging, food, and transportation.
The participating universities are: Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD), Instituto Superior de Formación Docente Salomé Ureña (ISFODOSU), the Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE), Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), Universidad Organización y Métodos (O&M), Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU), Universidad Católica del Cibao (UCATECI).
Also, Universidad APEC (UNAPEC), Instituto Tecnológico de Las Américas (ITLA), Universidad Católica de Santo Domingo (UCSD), Instituto Técnico Superior Comunitario (ITSC) Universidad Tecnológica de Santiago (UTESA), Universidad del Caribe (UNICARIBE), Universidad Nacional Francisco Henríquez y Carvajal (UFHEC), and the Universidad Abierta para Adultos (UAPA).
Likewise, the Evangelical National University (UNEV), National University for Defense (UNADE), the Higher Institute of Agriculture (ISA), the Technological University of Eastern Cibao (UTECO), the Universidad Católica Nordestana (UCNE), the Catholic Technological University of Barahona (UCATEBA) and the Universidad Central del Este (UCE).
