Ex-Dominican Olympic committee leader dies at 83

Published Jan. 16, 2011 1:16 p.m. ET

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Roque Napoleon Munoz, a former Olympic committee chief for the Dominican Republic and IOC member, has died. He was 83.

The Dominican committee announced Sunday that Munoz died Saturday after a long battle with prostate cancer.

Munoz was president of the Dominican Olympic Committee from 1974 to 1982 and then a member of the International Olympic Committee from 1983 to 2008.

A former member of the Dominican Republic's chess team, Munoz was best known for helping to introduce baseball as a medal sport at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Current Dominican Olympic committee president Luis Mejia said Sunday that Munoz ''always fought to promote Dominican sport'' and was a strong supporter of the nation's athletes.