Santo Domingo – The executive director of the National Institute of Physical Education (INEFI), Alberto Rodríguez, has highlighted the importance of the Community School Sports Initiation Centers (CIDE) for the advancement of student and community sports in the National District and throughout the country. Rodríguez explained that the first CIDE offers state-of-the-art facilities, including a multipurpose court suitable for basketball, volleyball, indoor soccer and badminton. In addition, it has specialized areas that promote the comprehensive training of children and young people. “We are talking about a center that not only has a new court, but also a combat room focused mainly on girls for self-defense, where disciplines such as karate, taekwondo and judo will be taught,” said the official. The center also includes a table tennis room and another dedicated to chess, a discipline that is part of the Dominican educational curriculum. Rodríguez expressed his satisfaction with the project, highlighting his experience of more than fifteen years in the sports field and the collaboration with neighborhood associations, entrepreneurs and sponsors who have supported local sports development. He underscored the private sector’s support, mentioning the contribution of entrepreneurs who have promoted basketball and the donation of a 32-seater bus and complementary equipment by the President of the Republic. The INEFI head also announced the integration of the Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Education into the project, with the goal of extending this model to the entire country.
Rodriguez emphasized that the centers are non-profit and that their main objective is to offer opportunities for integral development, keeping children and young people away from risky behaviors through sports and education.“We want this name to stay in everyone’s mind: CIDE, Community School Sports Initiation Center, where the school, athletes, the community, and the neighborhood converge, offering our children and youth a healthy option for recreation, training, and entertainment”, he affirmed.
Alberto Rodríguez
