IOC President congratulates the Dominican Republic on Qualifying for Paris 2024

During a meeting with athletes competing at the 19th Pan American Games Santiago 2023, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach took the opportunity to congratulate the Dominican Republic women’s national volleyball team on qualifying for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

In Santiago, Chile, President Bach had a conversation with Niverka Marte, a member of the Dominican team also known as Las Reinas del Caribe, with whom he made a commitment following his visit to the Caribbean island in March.

“President Bach is a wonderful person and an exceptional sports leader who has been known for reaching out to us athletes,” said Marte. “He gave me a personal pin when he visited us in the Dominican Republic, a very important moment for me as an athlete, as a token of good luck, and made an agreement with me that I would return it to him personally in Paris to motivate me and my team to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics.”

After Las Reinas del Caribe won their ticket to the Olympic Games at the Volleyball Olympic Qualifying Tournament last September, Marte contacted President Bach to inform him that she would be able to return the pin as they had agreed.

“The bond we have established with Mr Bach is surreal,” Marte expressed. “I wrote to him to inform him of our qualification and that I would be in Paris to fulfill our pact. He congratulated me and the entire team in a beautiful letter and, to my surprise, I was going to have the opportunity to meet with him at the Pan American Games”.

“I thanked him in person! But he told me there was no need for me to return the pin, while congratulating Las Reinas del Caribe enthusiastically for their direct qualification to the Olympic Games.”

The Dominican Republic, ranked 8th in the world, earnt their direct spot in Paris 2024 in the FIVB Road to Paris Volleyball Qualifier last September in Ningbo, China, after a hard-fought five-set victory over the Netherlands.