More than 300 athletes from ten of the country’s cantons have arrived in Nicoya, with the Olympic dream to compete, have fun and leave their mark on the sport of swimming in the 33rd National Sports Games (Juegos Deportivos Nacionales).
The opening ceremony was on Saturday, March 1 in Nicoya’s Multisport Gymnasium.
Present for the event were Carlos Roverssi, the Minister of Communication, Luis Antonio Aiza, a congressman for Guanacaste, officials from the Costa Rican Institute of Sports and Recreation (ICODER – Instituto Costarricense de Deporte y Recreación), the canton’s sports committee, representatives from the municipality and the general public.
Ruth Paniagua Cortez, president of the canton’s sports committee, welcomed the athletes and reminded them that being a part of the competition, “…already makes you winners and deserving of the utmost congratulations.”
For his part, Carlo Roverssi, Minister of Communication, congratulated the sports committee for their work. “Nicoyans speak about this Olympic pool with a lot of pride… I hope you all take advantage of it. I see that the sports committee is very motivated, with great will to serve the community and help youths,” he commented.
In the same way, Marco Jimenez, the municipal mayor, mentioned that the games will be a boost for the local economy during the days they take place. He also gave details about the improvements made to the pool and the building’s facilities.
Diego Fajardo Barrantes, the coach of Nicoya’s team, said that, “The young men and women have trained very well and we hope to win medals for the canton.”
The competition will start Sunday, March 2 and last until Wednesday, March 5.
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