(ATR) The general assembly of the Pan American Sports Organization begins this week in Punta del Este, Uruguay with the organization ready to make major changes.
The main event of the assembly will come on April 26 when delegates of PASO’s 41 National Olympic Committees elect its next president. The election brings an end to a two-year process that started with the death of former PASO president Mario Vazquez Raña in 2015.
Since Vazquez Raña’s death, Julio Maglione has led PASO through a time of reform. The organization approved changes to its constitution at the ANOC General Assembly in Doha, Qatar last November that paved the way for the presidential election to take place.
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach will be attending the election at the behest of PASO leaders, who made the request at the meeting in Qatar. PASO hopes that the IOC president’s presence will provide an added importance to the general assembly.
What was once a five-man presidential race has dwindled to three with Chilean Olympic Committee president Neven Ilic, Brazilian Olympic Committee president Carlos Nuzman and honorary life president of the Dominican Republic Olympic Committee Jose Puello standing as the final three candidates to replace Maglione.
The election is set as the penultimate item on the agenda that will be split across the two-day assembly. The PASO executive committee will meet on April 24 prior to the start of the general assembly and discuss the election procedures as well as hear reports from the organizing committee for the Lima 2019 Pan American Games (COPAL) and the bid from Chile to host the 2023 Pan Ams. Chile is now the only country bidding after Argentina pulled out of the 2023 race late last week.
COPAL will also provide its report to the PASO assembly on April 25 before delegates receive a status update from the Coordination, Technical and Medical Commissions for the 2019 Pan Ams. Organizers of the Toronto 2015 Pan Ams will also give a report before updates from Tokyo 2020 Olympic organizers, Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic organizers and presentations from the remaining bid for the 2023 Pan Ams.
After all presentations are given, PASO will move on to the elections for its next president, vice presidents and executive committee members.
The new leadership team of PASO will face a number of challenges as it begins this transitional phase. Priority number one will likely be modernizing and professionalizing the organization which entails creating a new logo, new communications strategy and new events such as the Pan Am Beach Games.
The next PASO president also intends to open up secondary offices outside of the current headquarters in Mexico City, the establishment of which is designed to facilitate communication and access for all of PASO’s NOCs.
The leadership team will also have to help guide the Lima 2019 organizers as COPAL deals with its own challenges.
There are just over two years remaining until the Lima 2019 Pan Ams begin and PASO’s new leadership will need to help stage a successful event in order to maintain the trust of its electorates.
Around the Rings will be on the scene providing coverage of the assembly and changes in Punta del Este.
Written by Kevin Nutley
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