Leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean have vowed to provide favorable conditions for sports development so that athletes of the region can make better achievements at the London Olympics scheduled for 2012.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez ordered state oil company PDVSA to open an office to finance high-level sportsmen, saying a new sports era will begin in Venezuela with a revolution in the field.
Venezuela won only one bronze medal in Beijing, while in Athens four years ago it got two bronze medals. The country has won a total of 11 medals in the Olympic history.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the country will encourage bigger contributions from the private sector and governments of all levels to sports.
Noting he was happy about the 15 medals Brazil won at the Beijing Olympics as most of them came from events that Brazilians were not frequent winners, the president cited the case of long jumper Maurren Higa Maggi and swimmer Cesar Cielo Filho, both of whom won gold medals in Beijing.
He regretted that the Brazilian soccer team only brought a bronze one back home.
In Mexico, director of the National Commission of Sports and Physical Culture Carlos Hermosillo hailed Mexican contenders' performance at the Beijing Olympics as "a significant change."
Hermosillo said that he had begun negotiations, as instructed by Mexican President Felipe Calderon, on inviting high-level sports training staff to the country.
President of the Dominican Republic Leonel Fernandez said that the government will strength the policy to provide favorable conditions for athletes so they can make better achievements at the next Olympic Games.
As Cuban athletes won only two gold medals in Beijing, much fewer than the nine golds they got in Athens, former Cuban leader Fidel Castro called for a thorough review and introduction of new ideas, concepts and knowledge to boost the country's sports level.
Source:Xinhua
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