(prensa.com) The Panamanian government announced yesterday that it will invest an estimated $2 million on the refurbishment and repair of stadiums to be used in the 2011 World Baseball Championship, which will be organized by Panama with the participation of at least 16 teams.
“We need to make some investments in order to adapt the facilities and prepare ourselves. The government is supporting this championship, but is also doing so with other sports (…) because we feel the need to raise the level of competition,” said Minister of the Presidency Demetrio Papadimitriu to reporters.
The Panamanian official addressed this issue during the presentation of the organizing committee of the 2011 World Baseball Championship and the official logo of this international sporting event, which is slated for September or November this year.
Organizing Committee Chairman, Edwin Cabrera, said that the competition will feature the participation of “at least” 16 teams, although they do not have an exact final figure as of yet.
Among the countries participating in this international sporting event are, Nicaragua, Cuba, Colombia, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Panama.
Cabrera further informed that the stadiums expected to be used for this event are the ones located in the provinces of Veraguas, Herrera, Coclé, and Panama, which will be adapted to meet the requirements for such an event.
Meanwhile, Rubén Cárdenas, Director of national sports entity Pandeportes, said that the preparation and repairs needed for the selected sports arenas will require an investment of approximately $2 million, and assured that an action plan with timeline is already developed.
The proposal presented by Panama in Havana to host the World Championship this year, includes: broadcast rights, hosting of the 16 teams, and referees for the tournament, as well as training for the teams and airline facilities and security for the delegations.