Race for 2027 Pan American Games Postponed

(ATR) Panam Sports has decided to postpone the bidding process for the 20th Pan American Games in 2027.

The postponement was confirmed by the president of Panam Sports, Neven Ilic, to Around the Rings.

The matter was one of the topics analyzed in the most recent virtual meeting of its Executive Committee that outlined the agenda for the next General Assembly of the continental sports organization in December 2020.

According to the institution's bylaws, the host process for the 2027 Pan American Games was to begin in January 2021 but it was agreed to postpone it to January 2022.

"I hope that by then the countries will be in better conditions, together with their economies, to face this challenge," said Ilic.

The venue for the 2027 Games would be announced at the Panam Sport General Assembly in 2022, presumably in the second half of the year, with the exact date and venue to be defined.

In 2021 and 2023, prior to the XIX Santiago Games, these meetings will be held in the Chilean capital.

Before the outbreak of the coronavirus in the Americas, representatives from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Barranquilla, Colombia and Bogotá, Colombia had made their interest public.

Prior to his abrupt departure from power, former Bolivian President Evo Morales had expressed his desire to Panam Sports leaders to nominate Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

Other reports mentioned Montreal, Canada, Brasilia, Brazil and Quito, Ecuador.

In April 2017, the Argentine Olympic Committee announced the withdrawal of the candidacy for the 2023 Games for budgetary reasons while anticipating that it would run for the 2027 edition, which is why it appeared first on the list.

But this Tuesday, sports sources consulted by ATR in the Argentine capital, considered that "today, it is unfeasible" to maintain the purpose of registering Buenos Aires in the race for the Pan American Games of 2027.

Buenos Aires, and Argentina in general, have been hit hard by the coronavirus in the health and financial field.

South America is suffering its worst public and economic health crisis in 100 years, which in the sports field has led to suspensions and cancellations of events and the paralysis of projects and illusions of its athletes that many of them continue to prepare in disadvantageous conditions for the Tokyo Olympics in less than 10 months.

Barranquilla, due to the success in organizing and holding the Central American and Caribbean Games in 2018, is on the lips of many to save the continuity of that mega-event for 2022 after Panama pulled out.

We will have to wait for the November 15 deadline given by Centro Caribe Sports to find out the potential bid cities.

And also wait for January 2022.

Homepage photo: ATR

Written and reported by Miguel Hernandez

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