President Medina presents National Flag to volleyball team

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, November 6, 2014 – The President of the Dominican Republic Danilo Medina presented the national flag to the members of the women’s national volleyball team to represent the country at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Veracruz, Mexico.

The special ceremony took place at the National Palace in Santo Domingo and was attended by Mr. Luis Mejia Oviedo, president of the Dominican Republic Olympic Committee, and Dr. Jaime David Fernández, minister of Sports and Recreation.

The players who were at the ceremony included Prisilla Rivera, Gina Mambru, Candida Arias, Niverka Marte, Marianne Fersola, Brayelin Martinez, Ana Yorkira Binet, Yonkaira Peña and Rosalyn Angeles.

The Dominican Women’s team has won the last three editions of the tournament of the Central American Games held in El Salvador (2002), Cartagena, Colombia (2006) and Mayaguez, Puerto Rico (2010).

Currently ranked sixth in the world after a remarkable participation in the FIVB Women’s World Championship in Italy where they finished in fifth place, the Dominicans are considered the pre-tournament favorites to win a fourth consecutive gold medal.

In the history of the Central American and Caribbean Games, the Dominican Republic also won the gold medal in Barranquilla, Colombia (1946) and Kingston, Jamaica (1962).

Mr. Medina, who visited the team during their participation in Italy, encouraged the players to do the maximum effort to bring the gold medal and congratulated the athletes for their excellent performance in the world championship.