SANTO DOMINGO (September 19, 2020) – The Central American and Caribbean Sports Organization (ODECABE/CACSO) approved, in the Extraordinary General Assembly, to change its name to CENTRO CARIBE SPORTS and to launch a new logo, within a strategy of renewal of the entity. The president of the organization, Luis Mejía Oviedo (DOM), proclaimed to all member countries that “a new stage for Central American and Caribbean sports has begun.”
The modification of CACSO’s identity to CENTRO CARIBE SPORTS eliminated the need for the organization to have two names, one in English and the other in Spanish, and changed to a name that is understandable in any language.
It also brings with it a multicolored logo, which maintains the colors of all the flags of the countries and associated members that make up the body, based on the same theme as the Olympic rings, representing the integration of all in CENTRO CARIBE SPORTS.
The presentation of the new identity of the organization was made by Felipe Vicini (DOM) and Manuel Luna (DOM), President and Member of the Marketing and Communications Commission of CENTRO CARIBE SPORTS, respectively.
“Since I decided to assume the Presidency of this organization, I have continued to assure everyone that my number one objective was the integration and union of all the members and the renewal of our organization towards a modern and avant-garde entity; today you are making history by approving this brand change to be able to re-launch Centro Caribe Sports ”, Mejia said after the initiative was approved.
The identity change was approved this Saturday, September 19, with the 37 countries and associate members present, during the Extraordinary General Assembly, through the ZOOM platform.
With the approval of this change, the Marketing and Communications Commission informed that it will begin to deploy the marketing strategy to bring Centro Caribe Sports closer to member countries, athletes and business brands in the region.
For more information on the Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association, please contact any of our Executives.
September 9, 2020 – After confirming the commitment of the Government of Colombia to support this sporting event, Panam Sports announced the official dates for the Junior Pan American Games – Cali 2021: September 9 to 19, 2021.
The event will host 27 sport disciplines, with the participation of more than 3,500 athletes. As is tradition in these continental games, the great celebration of the event was held, marking that we are just one year away from the opening ceremony of the most important sports festival for young people in the world in the coming years.
Present at the event at the Hotel Torre de Cali were the Governor of Valle del Cauca, Clara Luz Roldán González; the Director of the Games, José Luis Echeverry; and the Mayor of Santiago de Cali, Jorge Iván Ospina. Also in attendance virtually from Bogotá: The Minister of Sports of Colombia, Ernesto Lucena, and the President of the Olympic Committee of Colombia, Baltazar Medina. The Coordination Commission of Cali 2021 and the President of the Puerto Rico Olympic Committee, Sara Rosario, joined virtually from Puerto Rico. The President of Panam Sports and member of the International Olympic Committee, Neven Ilic, also joined the celebration remotely from Santiago, Chile.
To view the Cali 2021 launch event (English interpretation) please see below:
September 9, 2020 – The third edition of the Birmingham 2022 CGA Newsletter is now available, with a few important updates, as the Organizing Committee adapts to changes as a result of COVID-19.
September 3, 2020 – Thirteen participants from 10 National Federations of Belize have registered to participate in a Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) Webinar Series offered by PanAm Sports, in partnership with Sport for Life (Canada), the global leader in Quality Sport and Physical Literacy education.
Participating federations of Belize are: Belize Sailing Association, Belize National Cricket Association, Rugby Belize, Belize Softball Federation, Belize Canoe Association, Belize Body Building & Fitness Federation, Belize Tennis Association, Belize National Triathlon Federation, Belize Athletics Association and Belize Volleyball Association.
Sports leaders in the region and the world have found that many children and young people are dropping out of sports at an early age, resulting in a reduced talent pool for high performance teams. More importantly, an increasing percentage of the population is leading a sedentary lifestyle, which can lead to many health problems and a reduced quality of life.
Some of the reasons include:
The lack of adequate programs designed to make sport fun and engaging
Early specialization leading to burnout and injuries, which result in many children leaving the sport
Inadequate teaching of the fundamentals of movement and physical activity at the appropriate age
Poorly designed competition formats that force children to compete with the same rules as adults, resulting in frustration and desertion from organized sport
In an effort to address these concerns, Panam Sports reached an agreement with Sport for Life to share their knowledge and programs with the NOCs through a new Webinar educational series on Zoom and the Panam Sports Channel. It is an eight-week seminar that commenced on September 2. The course includes evaluations and certificates for all participants upon conclusion. Each NOC was offered a limited number of spaces free of charge. The information was shared with each National Federation of Belize, and the BOCGA received the names for onward submission to Panam Sports. Participants were recommended and endorsed by their federations as active members who will use their knowledge in the development of sport.
The BOCGA looks forward to positive feedback from the Belize participants, and is grateful to Panam Sports for this unique opportunity.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM:
Long-Term Development (LTAD) Webinar Series
Sport for Life (Canada) is the global leader in Quality Sport and Physical Literacy education. The 8-week online webinar series is about Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD), the underlying connective concept behind every healthy performing sport system across the globe. LTAD forms the basis for progressive stage-based development of participants from their introduction to sport, to recreational and high performance levels and on to ultimately staying active for life. It connects the multiple sectors responsible for the provision of sport opportunities, outlines key considerations in creating pathways and frameworks of athlete and system development, and enables the creation of policies that improve the quality of sport.
This LTAD series, presented by world class experts in sport and physical activity, will combine online education, e-learning and practical examples from guest speakers to provide each student the following:
The Athlete Development model and why it is absolutely crucial to modern sport
The Key Factors of LTAD – including specialization, age, physical literacy, competition, periodization
The 7 stages of Athlete Development – the flow, connections and key considerations
Quality Sport – LTAD in action, “Good programs, place and people” (case studies and examples from successful sports)
Training and Competition – the keys to successfully aligning competition structures, training & multisport Games
Physical Literacy – the competence, confidence & motivation to be active for life
Coaching and National Sport Systems – their central roles in healthy sport systems
Interdependence – how LTAD and Physical Literacy work together – case studies in NSOs and NOCs
This exciting series will present cutting-edge knowledge, practical information and real life examples to engage participants from every aspect of sport – from NOCs to club and school coaches, NSO leaders, government officials and the like. Participants will progress through an LTAD curriculum workbook and address Homework between weekly sessions that will be reviewed and discussed. As well, two exams will be staged to ensure the knowledge is understood and absorbed. Successful graduates of the LTAD program will receive an accredited Certificate of Completion/Achievement.
Key Outcomes
At the end of this series, participants will:
Have improved understanding of Long-Term Athlete Development
Understand how to connect Long-Term Athlete Development stage objectives to actual program delivery from club, school to national and international levels
Understand philosophy of multi (sectors – organizations) partner engagement
Have developed a rationale for how an LTAD Framework can support and enrich a National Sport Policy
Have developed a rationale for how an LTAD Framework with Physical Literacy can underpin and enrich a quality Physical Education Curriculum
Understand how to develop successful sport-specific LTAD/ADM Frameworks
Why governments, NOCs, sport organizations and coaches need to address Physical Literacy and Long-Term Athlete Development
To change national sport, health and education cultures by moving from one to three key outcomes. (Governments/NOCs)
To increase participation and excellence through an inclusive athlete (participant) development pathway. (Organizations)
To improve the quality of sport through the application of stage based development and ten key factors. (Coaches)
For more information on the Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association, please contact any of our Executives.
September 1, 2020 – The Maldives Commonwealth Games Association has been re-admitted as a member of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) paving the way for the South Asian island nation to compete at future editions of the Commonwealth Games. The Maldives missed the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games due to the Maldives government’s withdrawal from the Commonwealth in 2016. The resolution for the re-admission of the Maldives was approved in a vote of the 71 Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) in August 2020, meaning that the Commonwealth sporting family grows to 72 nations and territories. The CGF resolution comes after the Maldives Government’s application for re-admission to the Commonwealth was approved by Commonwealth Heads of Government and announced by the Commonwealth Secretariat earlier this year.
The Maldives has a proud record at the Commonwealth Games having competed in eight editions of the competition, beginning in Edinburgh in 1986 and most recently in Glasgow in 2014. In a letter to Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and the Maldives CGA confirming the news, CGF President Dame Louise Martin DBE said: “I am delighted to confirm the re-admission of the Maldives as a Member of the Commonwealth Games Federation.
The Resolution for the re-admission of the Maldives was overwhelmingly approved by our Membership, and on behalf of the entire Commonwealth Sport Movement, may I congratulate you as we welcome your country and your inspirational athletes back to the Commonwealth Games. It will be an honour and a privilege to see the Maldives compete at the next Commonwealth Games in Birmingham 2022, where there will be huge support for your island nation especially at the Opening Ceremony.
It is a pleasure to see the Maldives return to our family of nations and to work with us to uphold our collective values of Humanity, Equality and Destiny.”
ENDS
About the CGF
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is the organisation that is responsible for the direction and control of the Commonwealth Games, and for delivering on the vision of the Commonwealth Sports Movement: to build peaceful, sustainable and prosperous communities globally by inspiring Commonwealth Athletes to drive the impact and ambition of all Commonwealth Citizens through Sport.
For more information please contact:
CGF Media and Communications Manager
Tom Degun
+ 44 (0) 7788 580790
t.degun@thecgf.com www.thecgf.com
For more information on the Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association, please contact any of our Executives.
More than 3,500 athletes from 41 countries will compete in the 27 sports featured in the first multisport event in history designed specifically for young athletes of the Americas that will be held between September 9 and 19, 2021 in the city of Cali, Colombia.
“With the postponement of the Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games, the Cali 2021 Junior Pan American Games will be the most important sports event in the world for young people in the coming years,” said Panam Sports President, Neven Ilic.
CALI, COLOMBIA (AUGUST 31, 2020) — One of the most-anticipated decisions for all of the National Olympic Committees, International Federations, Pan American Confederations and of course young athletes of the Americas has finally been confirmed by the Government of President Ivan Duque: the city of Cali, Colombia will organize the first Junior Pan American Games of Cali-Valle 2021.
The news was delivered by Colombia’s Minister of Sport Ernesto Lucerna Barrero to Panam Sports President Neven Ilic during the Virtual Meeting of the Organizing Committee of the Cali-Valle 2021 Junior Pan American Games on Monday. Among the attendees were Colombian Olympic Committee President Baltazar Medina, former Valle del Cauca Governor Dillian Francisca Toro, representatives of the Valle del Cauca Government, the Mayor of Cali and the Executive Director of Cali 2021, Jose Luis Echeverry.
The confirmation is a milestone for Panam Sports and the entire Pan American Family as a unique opportunity for the next generation of athletes and for the advancement of sports development throughout the entire American continent. Additionally, Cali 2021 marks the first continental event in history dedicated and designed for young athletes between the ages of 14 and 22.
Additionally, the official dates of the event were confirmed for September 9 to 19, 2021.
“With the postponement of the Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games, the Cali 2021 will be the most important and massive sporting event in the world for young people in the coming years. I am sure it will be a spectacular sports festival that will serve as a launching point for our next generation of athletes and that Cali and the Colombians, as always, will be fantastic hosts,” said Panam Sports President Neven Ilic.
“I want to sincerely thank the Colombian Government, President Duque, Minister Lucerna, Valle del Cauca Governor Clara Luz Roldan, Mayor of Cali Ivan Ospina and the Colombian Olympic Committee for trusting us as an organization, and for the commitment and passion they have shown to youth and sport throughout the continent,” Ilic added.
“The National Government affirms the resources and commitments that are required for the Junior Pan American Games in Cali. We know the importance of these Games post-pandemic to help reactivate the economy and for the youth of Colombia and all of the Americas. We are working very hard to make these Games as great as we have all dreamed them to be. We want Games of the highest quality, and prestige, but as always the focus of everything is the region, for Colombia and for the athletes who are going to visit us”, said Colombian Sports Minister Ernesto Lucerna Barrero.
The first Junior Pan American Games of Cali 2021 will feature 3,500 athletes from the 41 member nations of Panam Sports competing in a total of 27 sports, including: Aquatics (Diving, Swimming and Artistic Swimming), Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball 3×3, Bowling, Boxing, Canoeing, Cycling (BMX, Mountain, Road and Track), Fencing, Gymnastics (Artistic, Rhythmic and Trampoline), Handball, Judo, Karate, Modern Pentathlon, Roller Sports (Artistic, Speed and Skateboarding), Rowing, Sailing, Shooting Sport (Pistol and Rifle), Squash, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball (Beach and Indoor), Weightlifting and Wrestling (Freestyle and Greco-Roman).
In order to ensure the best young talent throughout the region participates in these historic Games, Panam Sports is offering qualification to the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games to the gold medalists in every individual sport.
ONE-YEAR COUNTDOWN CELEBRATION: CALI REACHES NEW HEIGHTS
Although no massive celebrations or gatherings are allowed throughout the Americas due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the Cali-Valle 2021 Organizing Committee is preparing a special surprise for Wednesday, September 9 to celebrate and mark the One-Year Countdown to the world’s most important sporting event for young athletes in the coming years. The special One-Year Countdown event will be live streamed throughout the Americas and the world on the Panam Sports Channel.
Panam Sports calls on all Caleños, Colombians and sports fans throughout the Americas to stay tuned to social media and the news as the continent begins to experience the passion, joy, music and rhythm of the 1st Junior Pan American Games of Cali 2021 as they start to give their “All For You”.
For more information on the Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association, please contact any of our Executives.
VENEZUELA – AUGUST 20, 2020 – The ODECABE/CACSO NEWS is a digital newspaper created to keep everyone informed of all the activities carried out by the Central American and Caribbean Sports Organization (CACSO) and sports in general. Luis Mejía Oviedo (DOM), President of the organization, along with the board of directors, have taken the initiative to create a newspaper that collects the highlights of each month, including institutional activity, sporting events, athletes, academic activities, and any other special features.
This project was initiated by the Education Commission, directed by Eduardo Álvarez Camacho (VEN), who is also the General Secretary of the Organization. It will highlight all the monthly activities of the members of the regional body, including special projects of the other organizations and other work commissions recently created by the body. Journalists from different parts of the world, representing National Olympic Committees and other Regional Sports Organizations, can contribute to inform about sports news, not only in the region but also around the world.
This first version consists of a total of 14 pages, highlighting its Board of Directors, the different activities that have been carried out since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as special works related to the history of the organization. It also includes information about upcoming events related to the Olympic cycle.
August 16, 2020 – Today marks the 90-year anniversary of the inaugural Commonwealth Games (then known as the British Empire Games) in the Canadian City of Hamilton, Ontario in 1930.
President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, Dame Louise Martin wrote a blog reflecting back on the 1930 Games, ‘the brain child’ of Bobby Robinson, which is available to read here:
Hamilton 1930 was the first major sporting event to use volunteers, the first to provide travel grants for athletes and the first to have an athletes’ village in a multi-sport event. It was also the first sporting event to have medal ceremonies for athletes on a tiered podium. What a legacy!
Belize joins in congratulating the Commonwealth Games Federation on the 90th Anniversary of Commonwealth Sport. For more information on the Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association, please contact any of our Executives.
VENEZUELA (Saturday, August 8, 2020) – The “I Seminar on Sports Administration of the Central American and Caribbean Sports Organization (CACSO)” has been widely accepted throughout the American continent and even in countries in Europe and Asia.
More than 1500 people from 47 countries around the world have signed up for this new initiative that seeks to connect, train and teach nations about the Olympic movement through the intervention of sports leaders from CACSO, Panam Sports and National Olympic Committees from all over America.
The expectations held by Luis Mejia, CACSO’s President and from Eduardo Álvarez, Secretary General of the organization and also Chair of the Education Commission, have been positively overcome. In principle, it was calculated that the seminar would be given for 1000 people, a figure that fell short when there was still a week left to start.
Even so, both sports leaders have extended the invitation to those who want to participate, ensuring that this seminar is available not only for leaders, coaches or those directly involved in the sport; it is also open to everyone who wants to learn about sport.
“We are giving those interested in sports the opportunity. That is the main characteristic of this seminar, which has content and a varied agenda that will change from time to time because sport is very broad “, said President Mejia.
The adaptation of CACSO to the digital present has also been an accomplishment and one of the reasons for the successful registration of this first seminar.
“We have done a lot of promotion of this virtual activity so that everyone has the possibility to register and receive all the information we offer in the seminar”, commented the person in charge of this initiative, Eduardo Álvarez.
On Tuesday, August 11, starting at 2:20 pm Venezuela and Dominican Republic time / 1:20 pm Mexico time, the seminar will begin with the words of President Luis Mejia. Next, Keith Joseph from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Lorena Novoa and Fabio Ramirez from Colombia, will be the experts who will complete the first day of teachings.
This video is a summary of the press conference of the CACSO Education Commission held on August 6, 2020.
Number Registered by Country
Argentina 20; Aruba 3; Bahamas 3; Barbados 6; Belize 4; Bermuda 1; Bolivia 20; Bonaire 1; Bosnia and Herzegovina 2; Brazil 1; British Virgin Islands 2; Canada 1; Cayman Islands 2; Chile 19; Colombia 200; Costa Rica 23; Cuba 8; Curacao 2; Ecuador 25; El Salvador 36; Spain 5; United States 12; Ghana 1; Guadeloupe 3; Grenada 1; Guyana 3; Guatemala 69; Haiti 5; Honduras 17; Jamaica 2; Mexico 186; Nicaragua 49; Panama 85; Paraguay 1; Peru 55; Poland 1; Puerto Rico 36; Qatar 2; Saint Lucia 1; Dominican Republic 156; St Kitts And Nevis 1; US Virgin Islands 3; St. Vincent and the Grenadines 2; Trinidad & Tobago 1; Suriname 1; Venezuela 492; and Uruguay 3.
Total: 1572
Schedule of Activities
Tuesday, August 11:
2:20 pm, Venezuela and Dominican Republic time / 1:20 pm Mexico
Welcoming remarks
Luis Mejía Oviedo, CACSO President (DOM)
2:45 pm, Venezuela and Dominican Republic / 1:45 pm Mexico
Structure of the Olympic Movement,
Keith Joseph (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
3:40 pm Venezuela and Dominican Republic time / 2:40 pm Mexico time
Management of the Environment of Olympic Sports Organizations: Legal aspects
Lorena Novoa (Colombia)
4:30 pm Venezuela and Dominican Republic time / 3:30 pm Mexico time
Basic principles in the Organization of Sporting Events
Fabio Ramirez (Colombia)
Wednesday, August 12:
2:00 pm, Venezuela and Dominican Republic time / 1:00 pm Mexico time
Values, Ethics in Sport and the Olympic Charter
Christopher Samuda (Jamaica) and Guillermo González (Colombia)
2:45 pm, Venezuela and Dominican Republic time / 1:45 pm Mexico time
Women in the Olympic Movement
Nicole Hoevertsz IOC Member (Aruba)
3:30 pm, Venezuela and Dominican Republic time / 2:30 pm Mexico time
Strategic Planning
Salman Brache (DOM)
4:15 pm, Venezuela and Dominican Republic time / 3:15 pm Mexico time
Events of the Olympic Cycle
Mario Cilentti (Argentina)
Thursday, August 13:
2:00 pm, Venezuela and Dominican Republic time / 1:00 pm Mexico time
Communication and Information Technology in Sports
Alejandro Goycoolea (Panam Sports)
2:45 pm, Venezuela and Dominican Republic time / 1:45 pm Mexico time
Structure and Operation of the NOCs
Sara Rosario, (Puerto Rico)
3:30 pm, Venezuela and Dominican Republic time / 2:30 pm Mexico time
Leadership in Sports Organizations,
Brian Lewis, President of Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC)
4:15 pm, Venezuela and Dominican Republic time / 3:15 pm Mexico time
Sports Marketing
Jimena Saldaña (México) and Jackie Guerra (México).
For more information on the Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association, please contact any of our Executives.
Olympic legend Dr. John Carlos, Olympic Champion Kikkan Randall and four-time Olympian and Panam Sports Athlete Commission President Aliann Pompey will join moderator and three-time Pan Am Games Champion Alexandra Orlando for an intriguing conversation about the future of the Olympic Movement and the important role athletes must play in shaping that future. Possible solutions to the scrutinized Rule 50 of the IOC barring athlete protests from the Games will be the main topic up for debate, featuring Dr. John Carlos as one of the men who shed light on this controversial issue with his podium protest at the Mexico 1968 Olympics.
July 29, 2020 – As professional sports leagues and international competitions begin to gradually return, it is vital that the voice of the athlete is elevated not only to safeguard their health and wellbeing, but also to ensure that policies and practices are created that benefit the athletes who make these competitions possible.
But the voices and actions of athletes can also be used to create positive social change outside of the field of play. Today more than ever, athletes are using their platforms to advocate for these changes throughout the world, from issues of racial or gender equality to human rights and everything in between.
Continuing with its commitment to amplify the athlete voice, Panam Sports and its Athlete Commission organized the first virtual discussion on July 9 about the future of sport, including the return to competition, changes to anti-doping and the future of Rule 50.
More than 65 athlete leaders from throughout the Americas and the world participated in the two-and-a-half-hour meeting, with the majority of that time spent discussing the benefits and drawbacks of athlete protests at international Games, as well as potential solutions to this controversial issue.
This week, Panam Sports is proud to provide a platform for athletes to continue this conversation with a special program called “Athletes Connect: Leaders of the Americas Look Towards the Future”. The session will be moderated by former Panam Sports Athlete Commission President and three-time Pan Am Games Champion in Rhythmic Gymnastics, Alexandra Orlando, who will be joined by an incredible panel of athlete activists, live this Thursday, July 30 on the Panam Sports Channel.
Current Panam Sports Athlete Commission President and four-time Olympian in Athletics, Aliann Pompey, will lead the conversation by first providing a recap of the outcomes from the athlete meeting on July 9. Since her election following the Lima 2019 Pan Am Games, Aliann has worked hard to increase athlete representation throughout the Olympic Movement in the Americas and create opportunities for athletes to make their voice heard.
The first guest of honor is Olympic legend Dr. John Carlos, known best for his podium protest at the Mexico 1968 Olympics where he raised his fist in protest of racial inequality in the United States alongside teammate and Olympic Champion Tommie Smith. Both John Carlos and Tommie Smith were expelled from the Games despite winning the bronze and gold medals respectively in the Men’s 200m in Athletics. John also became the Pan American Games Champion in the 200m at Winnipeg 1967 and continues his role as an activist for social change to this day. His iconic protest at Mexico 1968 has been immortalized in the Olympic Hall of Fame and continues as a symbol for the power athletes have more than 50 years later.
Joining Aliann and John is Olympic and World Champion in Cross-Country Skiing, Kikkan Randall. Kikkan is often considered the best Cross-Country Skier in U.S. history, competing in five Winter Olympics and winning the gold medal in the Team Sprint with teammate Jessica Diggins at PyeongChang 2018, in addition to her 17 National Championships and World Championship gold medal in 2013. Kikkan is now an IOC Member representing the U.S. on the IOC Athlete’s Commission, a Board Member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and a “Get-Active”ist who promotes healthy and active lifestyles to youth audiences.
Do not miss this exciting conversation with these four great athletes and social advocates, only available on the Panam Sports Channel, live this Thursday at 5pm (ET).
The Pan American Sports Organization (Panam Sports) is the leader of sport and the Olympic Movement in the Americas. We propel the development of sport and support our 41 member National Olympic Committees to inspire more participation in international competitions as well as participation of the youth to prepare the generation to come in our region.
Panam Sports works closely with athletes, National Olympic Committees (NOC), Organizing Committees of all regional games, Pan American Sport Confederations, International Federations (IF) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to secure the success and celebration of our main event, the Pan American Games.
For the latest news and updates about Panam Sports, visit our website www.panamsports.org. Follow us on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube @PanamSports
