One hundred years ago, just 269 athletes from three countries came together in Mexico City for a competition that sought to bridge sporting gaps within a region that still had few opportunities to compete against each other on a regular basis. That first edition of the Central American and Caribbean Games, held in 1926, became the starting point of a movement that has endured through generations and profound changes in sport. A century later, the event continues to bring together territories with different identities around an idea that has remained largely unchanged: to compete, grow and build a sporting space of their own for Central America and the Caribbean.
That historical significance takes on special meaning at Santo Domingo 2026, an edition taking place from July 24 to August 8 and bringing the Games back to the Dominican Republic. The current scale shows just how much the event has changed since its early years: from three delegations to an event bringing together around 6,000 people from 40 countries. The growth can also be seen beyond the sporting venues. The Dominican Government reported an investment of nearly RD$9 billion in infrastructure linked to preparations for the Games, while approximately RD$893 million was allocated specifically to preparing the national delegation, reflecting the sporting, organizational and economic significance of hosting the region’s leading multi-sport event today.
From a response to Paris 1924 to a century of sporting history
The origins of the Games are closely linked to the Paris 1924 Olympic Games. Following a Mexican performance that was considered disappointing, the Mexican Olympic Society promoted the creation of a competition that would help raise the level of athletes across the region through more frequent international competition. Cuba and Guatemala supported the initiative, while Mexican sports officials Alfredo Cuéllar and Enrique Aguirre worked to secure international recognition. On July 4, 1924, the founding document was signed in Paris, and two years later Mexico City welcomed 269 athletes from three delegations. This marked the birth of what Centro Caribe Sports recognizes as the oldest regional multi-sport competition endorsed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
What began as a tool to increase competitiveness also became a reflection of the sporting transformation of the Caribbean and Central America. By Barranquilla 2018, 37 delegations and 5,425 athletes were competing across 54 disciplines, a scale that would have been difficult to imagine from the perspective of 1926. Along the way, countries such as Mexico and Cuba built some of the event’s strongest competitive traditions, while new generations from Colombia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and other nations expanded the region’s sporting landscape. The Games also had to adapt to events far beyond sport: the edition scheduled for 1942 was postponed due to World War II and was eventually held in Barranquilla in 1946.
Santo Domingo 2026 and the scale the Games have reached
A century after that first competition, organizing the Games involves much more than providing stadiums and welcoming athletes. Santo Domingo 2026 demonstrates the economic scale that an event of this magnitude can reach. Days before the opening ceremony, President Luis Abinader estimated government investment in sports infrastructure for the event at around RD$9 billion. Added to this is funding dedicated to athletic performance: the Ministry of Sports reported that RD$893 million had been provided to the Dominican Olympic Committee to cover different stages of preparation for the national delegation, including training and the hiring of coaches. These resources illustrate how a regional competition mobilizes governments, federations, Olympic committees, workers, coaches, suppliers and communities for years before a single medal is awarded.
The impact of the event is not limited to the weeks of competition. The renovation of facilities such as the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center and Parque del Este is part of an effort aimed at extending the useful life of these venues beyond 2026. At the same time, the human dimension remains at the heart of the Games: thousands of athletes arrive after years of preparation to represent countries and territories that see this competition as one of their main international showcases. For many young athletes, competing on this stage means moving closer to international high-performance sport and entering a pathway that can lead to the Pan American Games, world championships and the Olympic Games. One hundred years after the first 269 participants, this role as a platform for connection and development continues to explain much of the place the Central American and Caribbean Games hold within regional sport.
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