ODESUR Turns 45 Fighting to Save Its Games

(ATR) The South American Sports Organization turns 45 this March 26 as it tries to save its South American Games.

Speaking to Around the Rings, ODESUR president Camilo Pérez López-Moreira affirmed "the great challenge" of the regional organization "to carry out the Games scheduled for 2022... despite the great crisis" due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Paraguayan director was referring to the South American Games in Asunción, Paraguay, and the South American Youth Games in Rosario, Argentina, both moved due to Covid-19. The first is set from October 1 to 15 and the second, from April 28 to May 8, next year, amid the rain of cancellations and postponements of events in the region.

"At this very moment the situation of Covid in Asunción is very complicated," recognized Pérez, who is also president of the Paraguayan Olympic Committee.

A few months after the pandemic started a year ago, Paraguay showed low rates, however today the panorama has changed.

The death toll is close to 4,000, according to the recent report from the Ministry of Public Health of that nation where more than 202,000 cases of infections have been registered since March 2020.

"Unfortunately they were not organized correctly" Pérez tells ATR, adding "the vaccination plan is very slow".

The member of the Executive Boards of ANOC and Panam Sports commented that there are barely 60,000 doses available in the country at present and there are no arrival dates for more vaccines.

"They are having difficult days in Paraguay," he said, "but the Organizing Committee continues to work without fainting and with enthusiasm despite all these problems."

Camilo Pérez welcomes the recent announcement of the IOC to provide National Olympic Committees with the Chinese vaccine as long as the relevant national health authority had approved it.

He said he was "very confident" that all South American athletes would be vaccinated before travelling to Tokyo for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The South American leader, who is a member of the IOC, said that on this 45th anniversary for ODESUR, the new 2020 + 5 Agenda of the world Olympic body "will also be our strategic roadmap".

Solidarity, digitization, sustainability, reinforcing the rights and responsibilities of athletes, gender equality, strengthening safe sport and the protection of clean athletes, good governance, and fostering the development of virtual technology are among the 15 recommendations that will mark the map of the Olympic Movement for the next five years.

Written and reported by Miguel Hernandez

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