Twenty-one years ago, taekwondo athlete Victor Estrada competed and won gold at the Central American and Caribbean Games San Salvador 2002, now he returns to the Salvadoran capital as Mexico’s Chief of Mission.
Within the framework of the XXIV Central American and Caribbean Games San Salvador 2023 Chiefs of Mission Seminar, the presence of Victor Estrada, a former Mexican taekwondo athlete, in his role as Chief of Mission of the North American country stands out.
In the 2002 edition of the Central American and Caribbean Games held in San Salvador, Estrada was crowned two-time champion of the regional competition after also winning gold in Maracaibo 1998. Now that he returns to the Salvadoran capital as head of mission, the former athlete recalls with nostalgia and affection his successes in El Salvador.
“Twenty years ago, I was here, at the Central American and Caribbean Games 2002, as an athlete. And truth be told, they are games that I remember very fondly, they were very nice, and I was honored to win the gold medal,” he said.
Estrada was enthusiastic about his role as Chief of Mission and very eager to get details of the progress made in the organization of San Salvador 2023.
“Now I come as Chief of Mission, in a different role, in long pants, and with the objective of verifying that the athletes are going to have all those circumstances that will help them achieve their dreams and results,” he explained.
Furthermore, the Mexican delegate commented that, as a former athlete, one of the things he is most excited about is visiting the facilities where the regional sporting event will take place. “I am eager to see the facilities because one of the most important things when you are an athlete is to know what the facilities are like where you are going to compete. The objective is to take the information to Mexico, to the federations, to let them know that we will be well hosted and that things are good and positive,” he said.
Among Estrada’s most outstanding achievements are the bronze medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, the silver medal at the 1993 World Championships, and the three consecutive gold medals at the Pan American Games (1995, 1999, and 2003). A career full of successes that began in 1989 and lasted until 2004, when he ended his extraordinary sports career.
Currently, Estrada holds a honoris causa doctorate, a bachelor’s degree, and two master’s degrees, and has dedicated the last few years to the world of politics, as well as collaborating as a sports commentator on several television networks.