Kelvin Cruz guarantees "100%" installations before the 2026 Games and highlights volunteering for maintenance

Santo Domingo. – The Minister of Sports, Kelvin Cruz, guaranteed that the Dominican Republic will have all sports facilities ready “100%” before the inauguration of the Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo 2026, assuring that the country is working with record time and with a planning that avoids last-minute improvisations.

During the balance offered at the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center, the official explained that it is a process that requires discipline and time, and that although some areas may appear disordered due to active execution, the essential thing is that the work is happening "very focused".

“We are not magicians”

The minister responded regarding the visual state of some external areas of the Olympic Center, indicating that the works usually look more "disheveled" at the time of greatest progress. "Sometimes at the moment when you are working the most, you will see the house the most messy, untidy," he stated.

Comparison with other countries

Kelvin Cruz indicated that the country is making a difference in relation to international experiences, citing the case of Europe and the organization of sporting events where works are completed even a day before the inauguration.

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"I was in Europe, in Paris, and I could hear the hammering one day before the Olympic Games were inaugurated," he declared. He maintained that the same occurs in other countries that host Central American Games, Pan American Games, and Olympics, where construction takes place alongside the competition.

Volunteering as a Maintenance Guarantee

Regarding the future of the works, the minister highlighted the implementation of volunteering as a sustainability strategy, which he defined as a mechanism of articulation between public and private sectors to guarantee maintenance before, during and after. "Volunteering... brings together the best of the best from the private and public sectors to coordinate efforts and ensure maintenance," he assured. As an example, he invited to observe the state of the Félix Sánchez stadium, indicating that it remains intact despite the realization of massive activities. "Several concerts have passed and it is resplendent, it is shining," he said. Cruz insisted that the country already has a firm promise: works ready before the Games, and that this represents an achievement as a nation. "We are ensuring that the works... will be ready before the Games. Just with that promise alone is something to celebrate," he maintained.