On April 1, 2026, I had the pleasure of holding a very positive meeting with the board of the Aruba Sports Union (ASU), an organization that this year celebrates 85 years of serving sports in Aruba. As President of the Sports Committee in Parliament, I consider dialogue with the sports sector to be very important and necessary. For that reason, I am organizing a series of meetings with different stakeholders. We started with the Olympic Committee of Aruba (COA) and continued with ASU. Still on the agenda are, among others, IBISA and FLPD.
ASU functions as a central pillar, representing the interests of a total of 38 sports federations. During their presentation, we elaborated on several points.
Safe infrastructure maintenance was a key issue in their presentation. One of the most relevant points was the urgent need for maintenance of our sports facilities. We discussed how to develop structural planning and what is necessary to ensure that our facilities remain in good condition and safe for our athletes. At the same time, they asked for our attention regarding the Joe Laveist facility and the project that had taken place under the previous administration behind the ASU building, where containers full of materials remain unused due to lack of funding. They requested Parliament’s intervention in this matter with the Government of Aruba.
Another crucial point we addressed was the continued support provided to federations. This includes workshops, courses, and lectures. The focus is on the need to provide technical support, professionalization, and training of coaches.
Considering the number of topics and the importance of infrastructure issues, we were not able to conclude everything in one meeting. Therefore, it was agreed that I will call a follow-up meeting so we can continue to deepen discussions on their plans and address possible concrete solutions to their challenges.
At the closing of the meeting, I received a beautiful token of appreciation: a special ASU pin from Mr. Moises Fernandez, a member of the ASU Board. I have known Moises since 2002, and over the years we have worked together on many occasions for sports on our island one example being the Kingdom Games. I would like to express my most sincere gratitude for this gesture and this personal attention.
