“We left the meeting very pleased because of the collective commitment to work together in order to advance in the consolidation of the social well-being of our peoples, the main principle of ALBA since its birth,” Jimenez told Prensa Latina news agency.

In this respect, the sports official reiterated Cuba’s willingness to put its advances and experience in this field at the disposal of the countries of the bloc.

Sports ministers from Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Paraguay (as a guest country), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Venezuela, established strategies until 2013 that aim at boosting high performance as well as universal and free access to sports as an instrument to increase the people’s quality of life.
 

Participants approved a final declaration with guidelines that give priority to the unification of a regional calendar of competitions, including marathons and other events in which children, handicapped people, and the elder can participate.

They also agreed to schedule the First ALBA School Games for 2012 in Bolivia, and the Fifth ALBA Games for 2013 in Ecuador.

In order to supervise and guarantee the implementation of these
strategies, they also established a Technical Commission made up of
specialists.