ODESUR Versus the Post-Pandemic Crisis

(ATR) The South American Sports Organization (ODESUR) does not have a crystal ball, but it continues to try.

On Friday, ODESUR organized a forum called "The Day After". The central point of debate was the economic ramifications in sport due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The virtual meeting was "a preview of what several Olympic leaders in the region think about the ‘day after’ the pandemic, when we can carry out all our activities normally," ODESUR President and IOC member Camilo Pérez López-Moreira told Around the Rings.

Pérez, the host of the forum and president of the Paraguayan Olympic Committee, highlighted the atmosphere of optimism from the news about the advances toward the discovery of vaccines against COVID-19.

"We are all very worried about the future of sport, but with much desire, we try to move past this situation and to reinvent ourselves, because otherwise, we cease to exist," said the president of the South American Tennis Confederation.

Solidarity, creativity, and flexibility, in the opinion of Camilo Pérez, have been enhanced factors in this critical situation that sports leaders must have on their daily agenda.

Six members of the IOC, prominent entrepreneurs, the presidents of the 15 National Olympic Committees associated with ODESUR and important athletes participated in the debate.

The roles of governments and NOCs were analyzed in the face of this chaotic situation, in which South America has been horribly hit.

The suspension of mega sporting events in Latin America such as Panama’s recent withdrawal from hosting the 2022 Central American and Caribbean Games was exhibited in the video conference.

The challenge to open borders without a vaccine to combat COVID-19, the importance of private sports support in the "new normal", the unprecedented postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Games, and uncertainty among Olympic and Paralympic athletes, were all agenda items.

Besides Pérez, the other IOC members who took part were Neven Ilic, President of Panam Sports, Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee, Nicole Hoevertz (Aruba) and Gerardo Werthein (Argentina) members of the IOC executive board, and Bernard Rajzman (Brazil).

The vice president of ODESUR Mario Moccia (Argentina) and 15 NOC representatives from Argentina, Aruba, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Curacao, Ecuador, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela also starred in the evening.

Reported byMiguel Hernandez.