Caribbean, Centam Olympic Groups Reach Out to Haiti

A scramble for food in Petionville. (Getty Images)(ATR) Aid from Olympic groups has reached Haiti withdelivery this weekend of medicines and other supplies to the Haitian Olympic Committee.

The aid was delivered Saturday by Dominican Olympic Committee President Luisin Mejia and Secretary General Antonio Acosta who travelled by car from Santo Domingo, a journey of around 10 hours across Hispaniola.

The shipment of medical supplies was made on behalf of the Central American and Caribbean Sport Organization.

CACSO President Hector Cardona of Puerto Rico says he spoke to Mejia in Haiti, confirming delivery to the HOC.

Along with the supplies, Mejia and Acosta carried greetings from Cardona on behalf of CACSO and Mario Vazquez Rana, president of the Pan American Sports Organization.

CACSO technical director Humberto Cintron reports that Cardona has named a commission to help Haitian athletes and Coaches. The Commission will be led by Mexico Olympic President Felipe Munoz, Barbados NOC president Steve Stoute, Mejia of Dominican Republic, Cintron and Luis Cumba, a member of the CACSO technical committee.

Cintron says there is already a commitment to support the training of Haitian athletes at high performance centers in Dominican Republic, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Communication remains difficult with the Haitian Olympic Committee headquarters in Petionville, outside Port au Prince, given the collapse of infrastructure from the earthquake. NOC President Jean Edouard Baker has access to email and reported late last week that he and his colleagues are safe.

But he said the earthquake has affected everyone and called the experience “a living nightmare”.

The U.S. Olympic U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon in Port au Prince. (Getty Images)Committee, which has training centers and other resources to offer Haiti, is evaluating how best to help, says chairman Larry Probst.

“We have been in contact with our friends at the Haitian Olympic Committee, and we are working with them and our leaders in Washington on how we can best assist them, their families and their community.

“We will also work with all our National Governing Bodies in order to coordinate and collect assistance. We strongly encourage the American people to help our neighbors in Haiti in any way they can by donating through the appropriate relief agencies,” said Probst in a statement.

Written by Ed Hula

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