Centro Caribe Sports Trusts New Brand

(ATR) The president of the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees, Brian Lewis, agrees with the new name for a regional sports organization that's been around for 60 years.

"The change from CACSO/ODECABE to Centro Caribe Sports was needed, a brand change was required," said Lewis, who is also president of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee.

Lewis was one of the 37 NOC presidents who virtually attended the recent Extraordinary General Assembly of the former CACSO/ODECABE, which approved a new name and a new logo for the organization linked to the oldest regional games of the world.

The Caribbean Olympic leader estimates that now "a clear strategy will be required to generate awareness and acceptance of the new brand".

However, Lewis admits that "Centro Caribe does not translate as easily as Panam Sports."

The continental organization, looking for a new label that could be considered more attractive to the marketing of their main product, the Pan American Games, opted to change to "Panam Sports" from the traditional "ODEPA/PASO" three years ago.

To a question from Around the Rings, Lewis ruled out any name change for the organization he runs.

"Right now, CANOC has a well-defined and well-positioned brand," he said.

"It is not about following for following sake... so not because ODECABE / CACSO has changed its name, CANOC has to do the same"

Lewis along with the rest of the regional sports family about the present and future of sport and its different events due to the effects of the current health and economic crisis.

"In the post-Covid era, countries will pay close attention to the financial aspects of multisport game bidding," he commented,

"It will be a significant challenge to get countries to find cities willing to take on the challenge of hosting any Games," Lewis reflected.

Centro Caribe Sports set a Nov. 15 deadline for submitting candidacies to organize the Central American and Caribbean Games in 2022. Panama pulled out of hosting two months ago.

FELIPE VICINI: "MORE AND BETTER THINGS WILL COME"

For his part, one of the most influential Dominican businessmen, Felipe Vicini, president of the Marketing and Communication Commission of Centro Caribe Sports, showed optimism in the new horizon of that sports entity.

"We have plans that we hope will add value to the organization and to the member NOCs," Vicini told ATR.

"We already took the first step with the name change and launch of the new logo. There will be more and better things to come that we hope to share in the near future," said the businessman who has become an essential figure in sport in his country.

Vicini has promoted two public-private projects that have made a solid impact on the Olympic sports movement of his country: the Dominican Olympic Baseball Program known as ProBeis, and Creating Olympic Dreams (Creso).

"Despite the pandemic, we continue to work hard," said Vicini, who has for a long time closely worked with the Dominican Olympic Committee, the Ministry of Sports, and the group of companies interested in supporting High Performance Sports and Sports for All.

"The athletes who have qualified for Tokyo continue to train to the best of their ability under the current circumstances. Also those who have not classified; Everything will depend on when the sports calendar starts again," Vicini said regarding Creso's schedule.

"Probeis" has as main objective to help the Olympic qualification of the Dominican Republic

"In baseball it is still too early to say, as we have not yet received information from the International Federation regarding the plans for the Americas Qualifying Pre-Olympic."

"So we are on stand-by," he clarified.

Written and reported by Miguel Hernandez

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