Like other nations with huge expat populations, our neighbor to the south is looking to El Norte to help fill its 2012 Olympic Team. Indeed, later this month the Mexican government will begin hosting a week-long sports fest for Mexicanos in the USA to audition potential Olympic stars who want to play for their homeland.
The event – Sports Games for Mexican Abroad — will take place from March 29th — April 4th throughout North America under the auspices of Mexican consulates in the USA and Canada.
The goal is pretty straight forward — try out and recruit Mexican, Mexican-Americans and Mexican-Canadians who might be willing to play for Mexico in 2012. Mexico’s sport authority will test athletes in 12 different areas — though they are particularly keen to find potential stars in sprinting, javelin, discus and shot put.
The Gringo recruiting effort came as a result of Mexico’s dismal performance in the 2008 Beijing Olympics — where the nation took just three medals (two golds and a bronze).
So Mexico’s Sports Ministry is heading abroad to help locate athletes with more stealth.
Sports Minister Bernardo De la Garza is optimistic his effort will prove fruitful, nothing Mexican-American sports stars as boxer Oscar de la Hoya as his ideal recruit. He hopes that by extending an open door to off-shore Mexicanos, they will be able to finally represent their country — which has not always been the most supportive of home-grown sports talent.
“Historically, many Mexicans with sports talent have not had the chance,” De la Garza said. “We didn’t make it easy. We didn’t stretch out our hand and help them so they could represent Mexico and not have to do it in other countries. What we can do for Mexican sports is open the door so they have the chance, so those who want to can represent their country in international events.”
We think this idea is interesting — though with some 25 million Mexicans and Mexican-Americans in the USA, we can suggest some unusual applicants for De La Garza.
Charlie Sheen — aka Carlos Estevez, son of Mexico City-born Martin Sheen — might be a good start. What with his clearly endless excess energy, he might make for an excellent wrestler. Chicana hottie Eva Longoria clearly has a thing for the high jump, as those 24/7 high heels might suggest.
And, of course, there’s Jessica Alba — who’s pops is Mexican-American. Despite gracing the cover of Latina magazine, Alba famously declared she did not want to be called Latina.
We say recruit her ass for the marathon!