http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... mes16.html

Hispanic Games coming to Valley


Ty Young
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 16, 2006 12:00 AM

A 20-year-old initiative to bring top amateur athletes from Mexico to compete in Arizona has been revived with the help of Arizona's largest recreational sports entity, organizers say.

The Arizona-Mexico Commission, a joint program between the governors of Arizona and Sonora dedicated to fostering economic and cultural development, has partnered with the Grand Canyon State Games to create the International Hispanic Games.

The Olympic-style tournament will showcase five sports at multiple locations Valley-wide: basketball, baseball, tennis, soccer and boxing. The commission will underwrite Sonoran teams and athletes in every sport, helping with travel expenses and housing.

In November the Grand Canyon State Games announced it was creating an event called the Hispanic Games to foster competition among Hispanic athletes. The commission approached Erik Widmark, executive director of the Grand Canyon State Games, to expand the event across the border to include Mexican athletes.

The games will be held during Memorial Day weekend, May 25-28.

The idea for some type of Sonora-Arizona competition was floated two decades ago but never really took off, commission member Mary Rose Wilcox said.

"We just think it's great for their athletes and ours to get this chance to compete in friendly athletic competition," said Wilcox, also a Maricopa County supervisor.

The exchange will provide an opportunity for Mexican and American athletes, coaches and sports officials to improve their games, Wilcox said.

"They're experts in soccer, and we're experts in basketball," she said. "There will be a lot of learning, from the players to coaches to officials."

The commission has worked with the Sonoran state government for more than 50 years and has sponsored athletic exchanges in the past. For something of this magnitude, however, it will look for private funding and possibly residents to house athletes, Wilcox said.

Widmark said he was happy to be involved, though he and his staff will need to find more facilities willing to host competition.

"I think it heightens our own expectations," he said. "It means we're going international, which is great."

The Arizona Cardinals may soon join the games as well, sponsoring a flag-football sports component.

"Nothing is down on paper, but it looks likely," said Mark Dalton, Cardinals director of media relations.

In November, a contingent of Arizona athletes will travel to San Carlos, Mexico, to participate in a similar event called the Friendship Games.