Mario Vázquez Raña, president of PASO, to attend final day of meeting
Visit by Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) will discuss plans for upcoming Pan Am Games
Media availability on Thursday, April 18 and Friday, April 19
TORONTO, April 16, 2013 /CNW/ - Providing a world-class field of play and an inviting home away from home for athletes will be top of mind for experts from the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) Coordination Commission who are visiting Toronto this week to review and discuss plans for the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games.
During his three-day visit to Canada, President Vázquez Raña will take part in events open to the media in Toronto and Gatineau, Quebec. Details on these events will be released in an advisory to be issued by the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee (TO2015) on Wednesday, April 17.
The four-day PASO Coordination Commission visit, which starts today, marks the first time TO2015 has officially hosted the regional body governing the Pan Am Games.
The seven-person delegation is led by Ivar Sisniega. The three-time modern pentathlon Olympian is PASO's first vice-president, as well as first vice-president of the International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM).
"TO2015 is pleased to welcome our distinguished guests to Toronto as we work towards creating the best Pan Am Games ever held," said TO2015 Chief Executive Officer, Ian Troop. "The members of the PASO coordination committee for our Games bring a great deal of expertise to the table. Together, we will ensure these Games raise the bar even higher for what a Pan Am Games can be for athletes and spectators alike."
The TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games, which start July 10, 2015, will involve more than 8,400 athletes, coaches and team officials from 41 nations in the Americas and Caribbean.
The athletes will compete in 36 sports throughout the Greater Golden Horseshoe region. They include the 28 Olympic sports, such as athletics, swimming, basketball, soccer and volleyball, as well as eight Pan Am-only sports, such as baseball, bowling and water ski/wakeboard. More than half of the Olympic sport competitions will be qualifiers for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
"A lot of eyes will be on Toronto when it hosts the Pan Am Games in 2015," said Vázquez Raña. "There's a lot of excitement building among athletes who are eager to come and compete in what I'm certain will be one of the greatest Pan Am Games ever held. That's why we're coming together this week to be informed on the Games organizational process and share best practices and lessons learned from past Games."
Also in attendance from PASO are:
- Jimena Saldaña, PASO's secretary general and first vice-president of the Mexican Olympic Committee.
- Danilo Carrera, PASO's treasurer and president of the Ecuador Olympic Committee.
- Wellington Miller, former boxer and president of the Bahamas Olympic Committee.
- Luis Mejia Oviedo, former multiple sport athlete, president of the Dominican Republic Olympic Committee and past vice-president for the Americas, International Softball Federation (ISF).
- Marcus Vinicius Freire, Olympic silver medallist and Pan Am gold medallist in volleyball and sport executive superintendent of the Brazilian Olympic Committee.
- Michael Fennell, president, Jamaican Olympic Committee and president, PASO Technical Commission.
Leading up to the TORONTO 2015 Games, TO2015 will host the PASO co-ordination commission three more times, in addition to National Olympic Committees (NOCs) from the Americas and the Caribbean.
"On behalf of the Government of Canada, I'd like to welcome our PASO guests to Toronto," said the Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport). "Our Government is proud of our investment in the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games, which will leave long-lasting economic, sport and infrastructure legacies for Canadians. We look forward to welcoming dignitaries, athletes and spectators from the 41 participating Pan American countries to experience our diverse and dynamic region here in 2015."
"We warmly welcome PASO President Mario Vázquez Raña and our distinguished PASO delegates to Ontario," said Michael Chan, Ontario Minister Responsible for the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games. "This visit presents an important opportunity to share information, key insights and gain expert advice to ensure Ontario is well positioned to deliver an exceptional set of Games — for athletes, tourists and Ontarians. Together we will discuss how to maximize the success of the Games that will drive economic prosperity, place Ontario on the map as an international sporting destination and deepen our international relations for 2015 and beyond."
During the Coordination Commission visit, senior members of TO2015 will provide an overall update on the sport program, venue plans and a wide variety of operational areas. They will also tour the CIBC Pan Am/Parapan Am Athletes' Village and the Pan Am/Parapan Am Aquatics Centre and Field House presented by CIBC (in Scarborough), a facility co-owned by the City of Toronto and University of Toronto.
Members of the delegation will return to Toronto this fall for the PASO General Assembly. They will be among an estimated 400 delegates from the 41 NOCs in the Americas and Caribbean, as well as continental and international sport federations, the International Olympic Committee and the Association of the National Olympic Committees (ANOC) attending the meeting from October 6-11, 2013.
The biggest event at the General Assembly will be the vote on the next city to host the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games. The four cities bidding for the honour in 2019 are: La Punta, Argentina; Santiago, Chile; Lima, Peru; and Bolivar, Venezuela.
TO2015's goals for the General Assembly are to provide an impeccable experience as hosts, showcase the City of Toronto, as well as the region and its peoples, and set the stage for what is to come in 2015.
"In 2015 Toronto will welcome thousands of athletes and visitors from the Americas and Caribbean as the official Host City of the Pan American Games," said City of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. "It will be a phenomenal 16 days of competitions, cultural festivals and live entertainment. We look forward to working with PASO, especially at the General Assembly this fall in Toronto, to surpass expectations and deliver an event that will forever be remembered as setting a new benchmark for what a multi-sport Games can be."
"We are extremely proud that TORONTO 2015 will see Canada field the largest-ever team in our Pan American Games history," said Marcel Aubut, President of the Canadian Olympic Committee. "We look forward to working with PASO, TO2015 and all our government partners so that Canada's athletes, coaches and mission staff will experience the best-possible environment to achieve excellence and do our nation proud."
About the TORONTO 2015 Pan American/Parapan American Games
The Pan American and Parapan American Games are one of the world's largest international multi-sport events, held every four years for athletes of the 41 member nations of the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) and 28 member nations of the Americas Paralympic Committee (APC). The Pan American Games are comprised of all Olympic Summer Games sports, as well as traditional Pan American sports, while the Parapan American Games are comprised of the majority of Paralympic Summer Games sports. The TORONTO 2015 Pan American/Parapan American Games will draw more than 10,000 athletes, coaches and team officials and feature 51 sports in municipalities across the Greater Golden Horseshoe area. The TORONTO 2015 Pan American Games will take place July 10−26 and the Parapan American Games August 7-14. For more information about the Games, please visit toronto2015.org.
SOURCE: Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games
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