Santo Domingo.– President Luis Abinader inaugurated this Saturday a modern School Sports Initiation Center (CIDE) at the Hogar Escuela Santo Domingo Savio, a project executed by the National Institute of Physical Education (INEFI) with an investment of RD$38 million, which strengthens school sports and opens new opportunities for children and young people to develop their athletic talent.
During the event, the executive director of INEFI, Alberto Rodríguez, highlighted the historic transformation that Dominican school sports are experiencing, noting that schools have become the breeding ground where the country’s future champions are born and trained.
“The School Sports Initiation Centers, Mr. President, are where it all begins. It is a sports laboratory,” expressed Rodríguez, noting that sports talent does not emerge solely in large arenas, but also in schools, neighborhoods, and communities, where children and young people find opportunities to develop their abilities.
In that sense, he explained that through the creation and strengthening of these centers, spaces are generated for students to discover their talents, receive specialized training, and be able to project themselves toward national and international competitions.
Rodríguez highlighted that President Luis Abinader has promoted significant investments in sports infrastructure, including the renovation of the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center, the refurbishment of the Parque del Este, and the construction of sports roofs in schools and clubs nationwide.
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The official indicated that the School Sports Initiation Centers constitute the foundation for identifying and developing talent, allowing students with athletic potential to receive technical training and advance toward high-performance settings.
Likewise, he reported that more than 40 athletes who emerged from the School Sports Games organized during the current administration were pre-selected to participate in the Central American and Caribbean Games, of which six are already part of national teams and two have the potential to win medals.
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New facilities to train future champions
The new Sports Initiation Center features a modern soccer field, the first 60-meter track built within a public educational center in the country, a renovated baseball stadium, and a refurbished sports complex.
Rodríguez stated that this work represents an investment in the hope and future of Dominican childhood, while urging the educational community of the Hogar Escuela Santo Domingo Savio to care for and preserve these facilities for the benefit of future generations.
He also highlighted the strengthening of the National Network of School Sports Initiation Centers, with a presence in provinces such as Monte Plata, Espaillat, San Pedro de Macorís, La Vega, and San Juan, where work is being done to identify new talent.
As an example of the impact of these programs, she mentioned world champion Marileidy Paulino, whose athletic training process demonstrates the importance of promoting opportunities from schools and communities.
Hogar Escuela Santo Domingo Savio celebrates a new stage
The welcoming remarks were delivered by Father Ramón Erinel Quezada, director of the Hogar Escuela Santo Domingo Savio, who thanked President Luis Abinader for making an aspiration of the entire educational community a reality.
Quezada highlighted that the institution, founded in 1955, has been a space for education and transformation for thousands of children for more than seven decades.
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He highlighted that, in addition to fostering values and knowledge, the educational center has been a cradle for important athletes and a benchmark for Dominican soccer, which is why the opening of the new Sports Initiation Center represents an opportunity to strengthen the comprehensive development of the students.
Students value opportunity
On behalf of the student body, Cristian Alonzo Delgado thanked President Abinader for the delivery of the project, noting that it will allow children and young people to develop their talents, pursue their dreams, and have adequate spaces for their growth.
The blessing of the event was led by José Pastor Ramírez, Inspector General of the Salesians of the Antilles, who asked that the new center be a place where the dreams, talents, and values of the students may flourish.
Ramírez valued the Government’s support for strengthening education and sports as tools for social transformation, and highlighted that investing in the comprehensive training of new generations contributes to building a better future for the Dominican Republic.
