Blessed Miguel Cruz will be immortal of Dominican sports
Santo Domingo – The renowned sports leader Beato Miguel Cruz, known as “Miguelo”, will be inducted into the immortality of Dominican Sports. Cruz, who won gold, silver, and bronze medals in the Central American and Caribbean Games, was an outstanding coach.
The announcement was made by the president of the Hall of Fame’s Permanent Committee, Dr. Dionisio Guzmán. The induction ceremony will take place on Sunday, November 16, in the institution’s auditorium, located in the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center.
Blessed Miguel Cruz, who passed away on July 20, 2013, at the age of 63, joins Gonzalo Mejía as the athletes chosen to date to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
The selection of the immortals is made by the Permanent Committee, along with members of the Veterans Committee and sports writers from all over the country, through a voting process.
Born on December 12, 1949, in the Mejoramiento Social (BAMESO) neighborhood, Miguelo is considered one of the most outstanding coaches nationwide.
His legacy includes significant achievements as a leader of the Bameso club and as a coach of the national team in both branches.
His last great success was in 2006, when he led the women’s team to the gold medal at the Central American and Caribbean Games held in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, where they defeated Cuba in the final.
He also won the silver medal at the Santiago ’86 Central American and Caribbean Games with the men’s team.
In addition, he won the bronze medal at the XIII Central American and Caribbean Games in Medellín ’78.
He coached the men’s national team from 1977 to 1987 and the women’s from 2006 to 2008.
In the 1987 Pan American Games, he led the men to fourth place. He also achieved a historic victory over the United States in the 1979 Men’s Norceca.
In addition to the gold medal at the 2006 Central American Games in Cartagena de Indias, he led the women’s team to win the gold medal at the 2008 Pan American Volleyball Cup held in Mexico.
In that same year, he qualified the team for the World Cup and the Grand Prix. Previously, in the 2007 Norceca of Canada, Beato Miguel led his team to win the silver medal.An icon of Dominican volleyball
Blessed Miguel Cruz was an emblematic figure in Dominican volleyball, an idol in Bameso as a citizen and athlete.
He led the Bameso Club to win district championships in men’s volleyball on multiple occasions and also in the women’s division.
He is the only coach who has won the championship title coaching in both branches the same year, feats achieved in the district tournaments of 1986 and 1987.Other notable achievements
Blessed Miguel Cruz also possesses the following milestones as a coach: First Dominican coach with a FIVB license, first to defeat the United States, and first to win three medals in Central American Games.
Also, he is the first Dominican coach to win a Pan American Cup and the only one to qualify a national team for a Grand Prix.
He led the women’s national team to eighth place in the world, the highest position achieved by women’s volleyball in its history.
Miguelo trained players who are now immortal and prominent members of the national team.
Among the coaches who trained under his tutelage are Salvador Félix and Julio Frías (Miyuli), the most winning coach in the history of district men’s volleyball.A Family Legacy in Immortality
Miguelo’s exaltation represents another case of father and son in sporting immortality.
In addition to Beato and Cristian Cruz, the Hall of Fame records similar cases in professional and amateur baseball, as well as in softball and table tennis.
