Bermuda National Athletics Association (BNAA) president Donna Watson has hailed the appointment of Victor Lopez as the new president of the North American, Central American and Caribbean Confederation (NACAC).Puerto Rican Lopez will serve out the 2013-2015 term left vacant by Jamaican’s Neville (Teddy) McCook, who died earlier this year. He was 73.Lopez is the Honorary president of the Central American and Caribbean Confederation (CAC) and a former national track and field coach for Puerto Rico.“I’m pleased with the new President Victor Lopez,” said Watson, who is in Moscow, Russia for the World Athletic Championships, where Bermuda’s Tyrone Smith and Arantxa King are competing.“He was president of our CACAC region so I have all confidence in him.“He has been involved in athletics for the majority of his life and truly has a passion for this sport.”The race for the NACAC presidency became a two-man battle when St Lucia’s Alfred Emmanuel withdrew shortly after scrutineers from Antigua and Barbuda, Dominican Republic and the Turks and Caicos Islands were put in place.It left Jamaica’s Athletics Administrative Association general secretary Garth Gayle and Lopez — who also heads the Association of Pan American Athletics — to vie for the top post.Lopez, 70, earned 18 votes to Gayle’s 12 to become the new president.The NACAC president will now have a seat on the IAAF Council, following an amendment to the NACAC Constitution to bring it in line with the IAAF’s constitution.Watson added: “He has implemented several initiatives in the Spanish speaking countries especially Puerto Rico. He has been to Bermuda several times and has been one of my big supporters ever since I became president.“We had our first council meeting Monday (yesterday), so I am sure we will hear more of his initiatives and expectations then.“I’m positive there will be several things he will be looking for us to implement.”