The Dominican Sports Hall of Fame announced this Thursday that the former judoka Eleucadia Vargas has been chosen immortal of the sport in recognition of one of the “most genuine” athletes in the history of that sport in the country.
The “judoka of the century”, Vargas, who was born in San Cristóbal in 1970, was consecrated to sports immortality by the Permanent Committee of the Hall of Fame, after evaluating her “excellent service record” representing the country in competitions.
Dionisio Guzmán, who chairs the Standing Committee, reported that Vargas will be exalted during the 56th Ceremonial on Sunday, November 13, to be held in the Hall of Fame auditorium.
He specified that Vargas is the sixth athlete selected to be exalted in the 2022 Immortal Class, joining former pitchers Francisco Cordero and Efraín Valdez, former basketball player Francisco García and propellers Héctor J. Cruz and Fernando Teruel.
Eleucadia is the sixth judoka to achieve the sport’s highest distinction in the country.
Now, he will share the judo table inside the Pavilion of Fame with Radhamés Lora, a pioneer among judokas, exalted in 1992; John Chalas, 2003; Sweet Mary Pineapple, 2012; Andrea Hernandez, 2016 and Jose Vicbart Geraldino, in
Vargas competed for more than 15 years, most of them being part of the national team in all its categories. He started in the sport under the tutelage of coaches Luisa Guzmán and Israel Caraballo.
She was the first athlete in her sport to win two medals at the Pan American Games, winning two bronzes in the Havana ’91 (Cuba) and Winnipeg ’99 (Canada) versions, in 63 and 61 kilograms.
He also stood on the podium at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Mexico 1990, Puerto Rico 1993 and Maracaibo 1998, winning bronze in each of them.
Vargas exhibits his golds in the Colombia International Tournament, 1991; Olympic Festival of Mexico, 1992; Ibero-American of Valladolid and the International Tournament of Navarra (Spain), 1995; International Championship of Santo Domingo, 1996 and 2000, and Pan-American Circuit of Colombia, 1997.
At the national level he won 21 gold medals, three silver and one bronze. She was a consistent champion in the Sports Games of the Armed Forces and the National Police, defending the colors of the Air Force of the Dominican Republic.
