1993 Central American and Caribbean Games
Ponce '93 Logo
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| Host city | Ponce, Puerto Rico |
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| Nations participating | 32 |
| Athletes participating | 3,570 |
| Events | 39 sports |
| Opening ceremony | November 19 |
| Closing ceremony | November 30 |
| Officially opened by | Governor Pedro Rosselló |
| Torch lighter | Juan "Pachín" Vicéns |
| Main venue | Francisco Montaner Stadium |
The 17th Central American and Caribbean Games were held in Ponce, a city in southern Puerto Rico. The Games were held from November 19 to November 30, 1993, and included 3,570 athletes from 32 nations.
The city of Ponce inaugurated the Seventeenth CACG less than three years after the closing of the Sixteenth Games in Mexico City. The ODECABE staff developed a close working relationship with the Games organizers in Puerto Rico to carry out the Games in the context of the commemorative celebrations of the discovery of Puerto Rico 500 years earlier, in 1493. The Games were due to take place in 1994, but were rescheduled for 1993 to coincide with the 500th anniversary of the discovery of the Island by the Spaniards.
Exactly five centuries before the Ponce '93 Games the island of Puerto Rico had been discovered by the Spaniards and in 1993 the city of Ponce became the second city in Puerto Rico to host the oldest regional games in the world. The organizers had to carry out these games over fewer days than any other previous CACG since 1932, even though there were more countries competing in more sports for more medals and over more venues than at any other time in the history of the Games.
It was the first time that the Games were celebrated over only 10 days, and hosting 31 sports taking place over 21 of the 78 municipalities of Puerto Rico. The number of countries competing in these Games, 31, was a record for the Games in 1993 and has so far not been broken by any other celebration of the Games since. Had it not been for the absence of Dominica from the Games, the Games would have hosted a perfect attendance by the countries comprising the Central American and Caribbean region.
The finals amounted to 385, a record, with the addition of the sports of handball, skating, and kárate-do. Canoeing took place in Havana, Cuba, bringing the total number of participating countries to 32. Canoeing was the only event conducted outside Puerto Rico.
The organizing committee was initially presided by Ponce attorney Esteban Rodríguez Maduro until it was dissolved in 1992. A new Committee was formed in August 1992, presided by Dr. Héctor López Pumarejo. The new Committee was formed just 15 months before the inaugural day of the Games.
The Games were not free of controversies. A major one occurred when the Olympic Committee attempted to move several of the events to the San Juan area, provoking a heated debate between the sports community and the mayor of the hosting city of Ponce Rafael Cordero Santiago. Mayor Churumba, as he was popularly known, stayed his course and Ponce was certified as the main host city. The athletic village, however, was located in Salinas, some 40 minutes from Ponce, and the village of the Games' judges was based in the town of Villaba, at some 20 minutes from the host city.
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