The President of the Mexican Olympic Committee, María José Alcalá, together with the Honorary Life President and Honorary Member of the International Olympic Committee, Mr. Olegario Vázquez Raña, led the Flag Ceremony of the Mexican sports delegation that will participate in the First Central American and Caribbean Sea and Beach Games 2022, to be held in Santa Marta, Colombia.

In her message at the flag ceremony, Maryjose Alcalá assured that the members of this delegation are the best athletes in this country, and that through their own efforts they earned this valuable opportunity to represent Mexico in these Games.

“That is why I want to ask athletes and coaches to always wear with dignity this uniform that carries the Mexican flag, to always respect it, to respect their home, the Mexican Olympic Committee, because this is the home of champions and you are our champions,” said the president of COM.

Mr. Olegario Vázquez Raña was in charge of the presentation of the national flag and the swearing in of the Mexican delegation that will participate in these First Central American and Caribbean Sea and Caribbean Games.
Central American and Caribbean Sea and Beach Games 2022, to be held in Santa Marta, Colombia, from November 19 to 26.

“It gives me great pleasure today to be here with you in this beautiful ceremony to flag the athletes who are going to the First Central American and Caribbean Sea and Beach Games 2022. I wish them the best of luck and I hope they return with many medals and above all with the honor of having competed for our country, with the pride that always comes from being Mexican,” said Vázquez Raña.

Mario Ramírez Barajas, head of mission, presented some of the details of the Mexican delegation and highlighted that this sporting event, in which representatives from 26 countries are participating, will remain in the history of the Olympic movement for being the first of its kind.

He explained that there are nine sports in these Games: Beach Handball, Beach Soccer, Beach Wrestling, Open Water Swimming, Skateboarding, Surfing, Beach Tennis, Beach Volleyball and Sailing, and that the Mexican delegation is made up of 98 participants, 70 of them athletes and 10 coaches.

“It is the beginning of a great adventure, a great journey, thank you very much for the trust and we will not disappoint. I am sure that for the athletes this is going to be a unique and unforgettable experience,” explained Ramirez Barajas, head of mission.

The ceremony was attended by the members of this sports delegation, Olympic medalists, coaches, delegates and sports authorities, including Mario García de la Torre, Secretary General of COM; Bernardo de la Garza, Permanent Member of COM, as well as Francisco José Echeguren, Deputy Chief of Mission.

The countries participating in these sea and beach games are Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, El Salvador, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Cayman Islands, Virgin Islands, United States, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.