SANTO DOMINGO — In a critical step forward for pre-event preparations, Dominican Republic’s Minister of Sports Kelvin Cruz has formally issued a fourth round of government funding to the Dominican Olympic Committee (COD) to support Dominican athletes training for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games, which will be hosted on local soil in Santo Domingo.
The official handover ceremony, held at COD headquarters, saw Cruz transfer RD$178.1 million to Garibaldy Bautista, the president of the organization. With this latest allocation, the total government investment in the country’s preparations for the 2026 regional games has risen to RD$743.8 million, after three earlier disbursements that combined to more than RD$565 million.
Speaking at the event, Cruz laid out how the new injection of capital will benefit the country’s athletic pipeline: the funds will be directed toward expanding and strengthening existing athlete training programs, as well as enabling the recruitment of high-caliber, specialized coaching staff from around the region. Cruz stressed that intentional, well-resourced preparation is the non-negotiable foundation for both successfully hosting the multi-sport event and delivering strong competitive results on behalf of the nation.
He also drew attention to the unwavering commitment of Dominican President Luis Abinader to the project, noting that the administration has prioritized securing the resources needed to put on a well-organized, world-class competition and position Dominican athletes for success.
Leadership at the COD has voiced strong approval of the timely government support, emphasizing that consistent, predictable funding is essential to keeping training on track and maintaining elite-level readiness among the country’s top athletes ahead of the 2026 games. COD representatives added that this sustained investment gives the organization the stability it needs to plan long-term and maximize Dominican chances of earning top finishes at the regional competition.