Guadalajara on target for Pan Am Games

Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer

With less than a 100 days to go before the staging of the 16th Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, the Mexican Ambassador to Jamaica, Leonora Rueda, is assuring the local delegation and the rest of the world that everything is in place to stage what she hopes will be the best games ever.

"At this moment Mexico is ready; Guadalajara is ready in infrastructure and all the organisation of the activities, not just the sporting activities, but the cultural activities," Ambassador Rueda pointed out at a press conference on Wednesday to welcome the Jamaican delegation's participation at the Embassy of Mexico.

Ahead of the games, which is slated for October 14-30, one of major areas of concern is the readiness of the stadium designated to host track and field, which has been Jamaica's most dominant sporting discipline at the games.

"The track and field venue is a new stadium that is being built. It is running a little behind schedule although the authorities have guaranteed that it will be ready by early September for trials," Compton Rodney, treasurer of the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) and chef de mission to the games, shared.

He added that preparations for the games have been going well locally.

"Things are coming along very well, we are meeting every two weeks and as it gets closer to the games in October we will be meeting weekly," Rodney said.

President of North America, Central America and the Caribbean Athletics Federation and area representative for the council of the International Association of Athletics Federations, Neville 'Teddy' McCook, disclosed that JOA President Mike Fennell has been monitoring the situation.

"Fennell was mandated to ensure that the venue was prepared in time, because the organisers were a bit concerned about that particular venue (track and field)," McCook disclosed. "I know that Mr Fennell, before he went to the Commonwealth Games meeting, travelled frequently to Guadalajara to ensure that progress was being made, and I am sure that everything will be fine by the time we come around to competition," he added.

The Mexican ambassador explained the reason behind the delay at the stadium.

"They were changing some of the foundation, but as far as I know it is going to be finished by September," she said. "The games are going to start October 14 and I can assure you that my Mexican people will work 24 hours to have ready all the stadiums; it is a guarantee," she added.

The Pan Am Games will attract more than 6,000 athletes from 42 countries competing in 32 sporting disciplines, 16 of which will serve as qualifiers for the 2012 London Olympic Games. Jamaica will compete in 14 sports.