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TOKYO, Japan, October 7, 2015 - Dominican Republic volleyball
player Jineiry Martinez has been chosen by the Japanese
Anti-Doping Agency to take part in the Play True Torch Relay
Project, Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games legacy project.
The PLAY TRUE Torch Relay is a project in which a wide range of
athletes of different countries, sport and generations take part
to leave a legacy of the “truth” in sport, embracing the world
and the future.
The “Truth” that each athlete has found through sport and in
living will be inscribed in the unique makimono. It is a symbol
of the infinite possibilities of sport and relayed as a message
to the world and to the future.
Sport has made me strong
“More than anything, when I’m playing volleyball, I try to have
no fear,” Jineiry said. “To continue to play hard and not fear
making mistakes, I always try to play with a smile on my face,
staying positive at all times no matter what the situation. This
is something I learned from my mother, who worked as a manager
for the Youth National Team.”
“What got me started in volleyball was watching my sister, who
is one year older than me, play and thinking it was really cool.
Though we do get into arguments sometimes, she is a good friend
and a good teammate as well on the current National Team. Having
someone right there to constantly share the ups and downs is a
wonderful thing, and I’m grateful for it.”
The 17-year-old Martinez was the youngest athlete at the FIVB
Volleyball Women’s World Cup that concluded in Japan recently
and part of the Dominican Republic team that won the FIVB
Volleyball Women’s U20 World Championship this year.
“I’ve been on the Junior and Youth Teams, and am now on the
National Team,” Martinez added. “Representing one’s country is a
big responsibility, and my sense of that responsibility
continues to steadily grow. But I don’t really feel any
pressure. More than anything I simply like playing volleyball.
My future
“At the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games next year and for the
2020 Olympics in Tokyo, I have high expectations for myself as
an athlete. This is why I plan to continue to play without
getting away from my foundation, which is to simply enjoy
volleyball, the sport I love, and work hard to help make the
team a success. I will move forward with a positive attitude, a
smile and without fear.” |
