Pan American Sports Organization
Countries with one or more members are in green | |
Formation | 1940 |
---|---|
Type | Sports federation |
Headquarters | Mexico City, Mexico |
Membership | 41 National Olympic Committees |
Official language | English, Spanish |
President | Ivar Sisniega |
Website | paso-odepa.org |
The Pan American Sports Organization (acronym: PASO; Spanish: Organización Deportiva Panamericana, Portuguese: Organização Desportiva Pan-Americana ODEPA, French: Organisation Sportive Pan-Américaine) is an international organization which represents the current 41 National Olympic Committees of the North American and South American continents.
It is affiliated with the International Olympic Committee and its affiliated bodies, including ANOC, the Association of National Olympic Committees, and serves as the continental association of the Americas.
The organization's foremost event is the quadrennial Pan American Games, held since 1951. The Parapan American Games was inaugurated in 1999 for disabled athletes and is held alongside the able-bodied Pan American Games. The Pan American Winter Games, for winter sports, was held only once in 1990. The Pan American Sports Festival was inaugurated in 2014 as a developmental event for the region's athletes.
Affiliated organizations
There are four other organisations affiliated to the Pan American Sports Organization, they are:
- ODESUR – organisers of the South American Games
- CASCO – organisers of the Central American and Caribbean Games
- ORDECA – organisers of the Central American Games
- ODEBO – organisers of the Bolivarian Games
Exclusion of indigenous sports
Despite criticisms that the Ulama or Mesoamerican Ballgame and Lacrosse are not included in the program of the Pan American Games, the number of countries enrolled in its member associations is very small and they are not recognized by the International Olympic Committee, which inhibits their participation in the Pan American Games.
Flag
Just like the International Olympic Committee, the Pan American Sports Organization has its own flag. The flag has the four words, "América", "Espírito", "Sports" and "Fraternité", each respectively in one of the four official languages of the organization, namely Spanish, Portuguese, English and French. Also, on the flag is a torch along with the Olympic Rings and five circles with the official colours of the Olympics on a white background. Finally, the words PASO and ODEPA are written to indicate the organization the flag represents.
Member countries
In the following table, the year in which the NOC was recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is also given if it is different from the year in which the NOC was created.
Nation | Code | National Olympic Committee | Created | Region | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Antigua and Barbuda | ANT | The Antigua and Barbuda Olympic Association | 1966/1976 | Caribbean | |
Argentina | ARG | Comité Olímpico Argentino | 1923 | South America | |
Aruba | ARU | Aruban Olympic Committee | 1985/1986 | Caribbean | |
Bahamas | BAH | Bahamas Olympic Association | 1952 | Caribbean | |
Barbados | BAR | Barbados Olympic Association | 1955 | Caribbean | |
Belize | BIZ | Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association | 1967 | Central America | |
Bermuda | BER | Bermuda Olympic Association | 1935/1936 | North America | |
Bolivia | BOL | Comité Olímpico Boliviano | 1932/1936 | South America | |
Brazil | BRA | Comitê Olímpico do Brasil | 1914/1935 | South America | |
British Virgin Islands | IVB | British Virgin Islands Olympic Committee | 1980/1982 | Caribbean | |
Canada | CAN | Canadian Olympic Committee | 1904/1907 | North America | |
Cayman Islands | CAY | Cayman Islands Olympic Committee | 1973/1976 | Caribbean | |
Chile | CHI | Comité Olímpico de Chile | 1934 | South America | |
Colombia | COL | Comité Olímpico Colombiano | 1936/1948 | South America | |
Costa Rica | CRC | Comité Olímpico de Costa Rica | 1953/1954 | Central America | |
Cuba | CUB | Cuban Olympic Committee | 1926/1954 | Caribbean | |
Dominica | DMA | Dominica Olympic Committee | 1987/1993 | Caribbean | |
Dominican Republic | DOM | Comité Olímpico Dominicano | 1946/1962 | Caribbean | |
Ecuador | ECU | Ecuadorian National Olympic Committee | 1948/1959 | South America | |
El Salvador | ESA | Comité Olímpico de El Salvador | 1949/1962 | Central America | |
Grenada | GRN | Grenada Olympic Committee | 1984 | Caribbean | |
Guatemala | GUA | Comité Olímpico Guatemalteco | 1947 | Central America | |
Guyana | GUY | Guyana Olympic Association | 1935/1948 | Caribbean | |
Haiti | HAI | Comité Olympique Haïtien | 1914/1924 | Caribbean | |
Honduras | HON | Comité Olímpico Hondureño | 1956 | Central America | |
Jamaica | JAM | Jamaica Olympic Association | 1936 | Caribbean | |
Mexico | MEX | Comité Olímpico Mexicano | 1923 | North America | |
Nicaragua | NCA | Comité Olímpico Nicaragüense | 1959 | Central America | |
Panama | PAN | Comité Olímpico Nacional De Panamá | 1934/1947 | Central America | |
Paraguay | PAR | Comité Olímpico Paraguayo | 1970 | South America | |
Peru | PER | Comité Olímpico Peruano | 1924/1936 | South America | |
Puerto Rico | PUR | Puerto Rico Olympic Committee | 1948 | Caribbean | |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | SKN | St. Kitts and Nevis Olympic Committee | 1986/1993 | Caribbean | |
Saint Lucia | LCA | St. Lucia Olympic Committee | 1987/1993 | Caribbean | |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | VIN | St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Olympic Committee | 1982/1987 | Caribbean | |
Suriname | SUR | Suriname Olympic Committee | 1959 | Caribbean (South America) | |
Trinidad and Tobago | TTO | Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee | 1946/1948 | Caribbean | |
United States | USA | United States Olympic Committee | 1894 | North America | |
Uruguay | URU | Uruguayan Olympic Committee | 1923 | South America | |
Venezuela | VEN | Comité Olímpico Venezolano | 1935 | South America | |
Virgin Islands | ISV | Virgin Islands Olympic Committee | 1967 | Caribbean |
Former member: Netherlands Antilles Olympic Committee
Presidents
No. | Name | Origin | Date of birth/death | Took office | Left office | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Avery Brundage | United States | September 28, 1887 – May 8, 1975 |
1940 | 1951 | President of the IOC from 1952 to 1972 |
2 | José de Jesús Clark Flores | Mexico | 1908 – 1971 |
1951 | 1955 | |
3 | Doug Roby | United States | March 24, 1898 – March 31, 1992 |
1955 | 1959 | |
4 | José de Jesús Clark Flores | Mexico | 1908 – 1971 |
1959 | 1971 | Died in office |
5 | Sylvio de Magalhaes Padilha1 | Brazil | 1909 – 2002 |
1971 | 1971 | |
6 | José Beracasa | Venezuela | 1909 – 2002 |
1971 | 1975 | |
7 | Mario Vázquez Raña | Mexico | June 7, 1932 –February 08,2015 |
1975 | 2015 | Longest serving president and died in service |
8 | Ivar Sisniega | Mexico | May 29, 1958 | 2015 | Interim President |
^1 Served as acting president for two months until new election.
PASO Athlete's Commission
In 2011 a new PASO Athlete's commission was formed. Former Canadian Rhythmic Gymnast and multiple time Pan American Games gold medalist Alexandra Orlando was selected the president of the commission. The commission will be made up of seven athletes (5 current and 2 former) with two being reserved for non-Olympic sports.[1][2][3]
Member | Country | Since | Pan American Games Participation |
---|---|---|---|
Alexandra Orlando | Canada | 2011 | 2003–2007 |
Mijaín López | Cuba | 2011 | 2003–2011 |
Samyr Laine | Haiti | 2011 | 2003–2011 |
Andrea Estrada | Guatemala | 2011 | 2011 |
Guillermo Perez | Mexico | 2011 | 2011 |
Pedro Causil | Colombia | 2011 | 2011 |
Shannon Nishic | United States | 2011 | 2011 |
Accession of countries per games
Games | Host | Accession Countries | Total |
---|---|---|---|
I | Buenos Aires | Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela. | 21 |
II | Mexico City | Bahamas, Canada, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico. | 4 |
III | Chicago | Guyana, Netherlands Antilles. | 2 |
IV | São Paulo | Barbados. | 1 |
V | Winnipeg | Belize, Bolivia, Bermuda, Virgin Islands. | 4 |
VI | Cali | - | 0 |
VII | Mexico City | Honduras. | 1 |
VIII | San Juan | Antigua and Barbuda. | 1 |
IX | Caracas | British Virgin Islands, Suriname. | 2 |
X | Indianapolis | Aruba, Cayman Islands, Grenada. | 3 |
XI | Havana | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. | 1 |
XII | Mar de Plata | Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia. | 3 |
XIII | Winnipeg | - | 0 |
XIV | Santo Domingo | - | 0 |
XV | Rio de Janeiro | - | 0 |
XVI | Guadalajara | - | 0 |
XVII | Toronto | Future | - |
XVIII | Lima | Future | - |
See also
References
External links
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