HAVANA, June 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Nearly 840 athletes from 16 countries have confirmed their participation in the Games of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA), due June 17-30, inCuba.

    Cubadeportes Sports Director Erick Leon said Thursday the principal participating nations are Dominican Republic, Panama andCosta Rica, as well as the host country and Venezuela.

    He said the principal ALBA contests will have representatives from Ecuador, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, Peru, Italy, Portugal, Canada and the United States.

    Among the main goals of the competition, that will be developedin eight of the 14 Cuban provinces, is increasing the preparation of athletes of the ALBA countries.

    He also reminded that this competition will include 38 disciplines, eight of them exhibition ones, which will take place at the localities of Havana, Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spiritus, Ciego de Avila, Camaguey and Santiago.

    This capital will be the main seat, with 15 official sports: athletics, baseball, diving, cycling, fencing, artistic and rythmic gymnastics, hockey, judo, swimming, skating, water polo, tennis, triatlon and marksmanship.

    Santiago will host karate, softball, taekwondo and volleyball; Havana province: canoeing, rowing ant table tennis; Matanzas: boxing, synchronized swimming and weight-lifting; Sancti Spiritus:basketball, archery and bowling, and Camaguey: wrestling (free-style and Graeco-Roman).

    Ciego de Avila will receive beach volleyball and Cienfuegos soccer, said Leon.

    Finally, he said that among the confirmed participants are 177 coaches, 540 referees, 34 medical personnel and 50 technical personnel. Enditem