Dominican Republic - Birthplace of Sammy Sosa!

id="body">also took place in the Dominican Republic (Santo
From Baseball to Table TennisDomingo) in 1974, with 4,500 athletes from 22
Baseballnations and dependencies.
Did you know- Baseball remains popular in severalFélix Sánchez
Dominican cities, including Santo Domingo, LaDid you know- American-born Dominican athlete
Vega, San Francisco de Macoris, and Santiago deFélix Sánchez is a renowned Olympic gold
los Caballeros. This Spanish-speaking country ismedalist. Sánchez won the gold medal in the
home to many famous baseball players: Sammymen's 400m hurdles at the 2004 Summer Games
Sosa, Pedro Martinez, Juan Marichal, Felipe Alou,in Greece; the first Olympic title in the history of
and Pedro Borbón, among others. On the otherDominican sport. He was born on August 30,
hand, the Caribbean Island has won a host of1977, New York City, United States.
international trophies and medals. Certainly, itsHost Country
greatest triumph came at the 1948 World Cup inDid you know- Santo Domingo, the country's
Managua, the capital city of Nicaragua, where thecapital, with a well-developed infrastructure, was
national team placed first. By 1982 the nationhome to the Pan American Games in 2003, which
made history when it beat Cuba, host country,was dominated by the United States.
and won the gold medal at the 1982 CentralMary Joe Fernández
American and Caribbean Games in Havana.Did you know- America's former tennis player
Despite that achievement, the Island did not winMary Joe Fernández was born in the Dominican
the World Cup in Seoul, South Korea. By 1969 theRepublic. She, whose original name is Maria José
country hosted the Baseball World Championship.Fernández, is a two-time Olympic gold medalist
In the first half of the 20th century, America(Barcelona'92 & Atlanta'96).
introduced baseball into the Dominican Republic.Pan American Games
BoxingDid you know- The Dominican Republic did not
Did you know- In the Caribbean Boxingparticipate in the Pan American Games in 1963
Tournament in Managua (Nicaragua) in the(Sao Paulo, Brazil) and 1967 ( Winnipeg, Manitoba,
mid-1970s, the Dominican team finished second inCanada).
the medal count, with 8 medals ( 1 gold, 5 silver,Summer Olympics
and 2 bronze), ahead of Nicaragua, Mexico, andDid you know- By 1968, a team of 19 athletes fly
Colombia.to Mexico City for the Island's second attendance
Central American and Caribbean Gamesof the Olympic Games. The Dominican Republic
Did you know- The Central American andbegan its participation in the Olympics in 1964 in
Caribbean Games were held in the IslandTokyo (Japan).
(Santiago de los Caballeros) in 1986. These Games