INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY 7th JOINT - IOA

Women’s Participation in Nicaragua at the leadership level
Nicaragua’s female participation in sports leadership has been
very limited, except in the last two decades. María Elena Porras is
identified as the first female sports leader Nicaragua has had. She was
wife of the former President of the Nicaraguan Olympic Committee,
Colonel Adonis Porras. She was an enthusiastic supporter of the
women basketball during the seventies. At that time, this sport wasn’t
well organized, so she didn’t hold an official position inside an
executive body of a federation. In the eighties and nineties, step by
step, former female athletes started working in favor of their sports,
and some of them reached positions in decision-making structures of
their respective federations, for example:
1. María Antonieta Ocón, former athlete and current President of
the Nicaraguan Athletics Federation. She began her work as
leader holding the position of Secretary General of her
federation for the period 1997-2000. She was elected President
of the Nicaraguan Athletics Federation for the period 2000-
2004 on December 23 rd , 2000. The first Nicaraguan woman
president of a sports federation.
2. Bertha Cuadra, another former athlete and current President of
the Nicaraguan Volleyball Federation. She started her
leadership role when she was appointed member of the
Commission to support the Women Senior National Volleyball
Team. Elected President of her federation on July 1, 2001
3. Rossana Rocha López, Jeaneth Manzanares and Eleonora
Rocha Guido. Promoters of the practice of women football in
Nicaragua and the most influential personalities of this sport
discipline. Mrs Rossana Rocha López is founder of the women
football league and the Women Football Commission. Mrs
Manzanares, current President of said Commission, started her
life as leader when she was elected Secretary General of the
men soccer team “Real Estelí F.C”. Eleonora Rocha Guido is
member of the Commission above mentioned and President of
the team “Caciques Diriangen”, the current champion of the
women football league.
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