Pan Am Sports President Neven Ilic
Contrbuted
The Global Esports Federation and Panam Sports have confirmed the staging of the first Pan American Esports Championships in Santiago, Chile, in October 2023.
The marquee event will feature globally renowned multi-genre titles and will be staged in parallel with the 19th edition of the Pan American Games.
“We are proud to partner with the visionary leadership at Panam Sports to bring our marquee event to the Americas,” said Chris Chan, President of the GEF.
“Our #worldconnected community is even brighter today with the news that esports athletes from the 41 delegations across the Americas will have the opportunity to showcase their skills and talents alongside the continent’s greatest competitors as they represent their countries at the region’s most important multi-sport event.”
President of Pan Am Sports, Neven Ilic was equally enthused by the announcement.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Global Esports Federation to bring the reach, power and energy of esports to the home of next year’s Pan Am Games,” he said.
“After more than a year of discussions, we are ready to confirm this innovative addition to the Panam Sports family. Guided and aligned with the developments outlined by the Olympic Agenda 2020+5 roadmap, we are excited to see esports and our diverse multisport program converge in Santiago in October 2023.”
The Pan American Esports Championships will feature athletes competing from 41 nations across the Americas. Both the Championship and the Pan American Games will be enhanced by the GEFestival – a celebratory showcase of the diverse esports culture — and the flagship GEFcon that will convene global thought leaders, stakeholders and idea creators from esports and adjacent industries to share ideas and opportunities for the future of esports.
The GEF and Panam Sports will jointly establish the governance structures to oversee the coordination of the Pan American Esports Championships. The Panam Sports General Assembly was updated on the developments of esports and the successful Commonwealth Esports Championships recently staged in Birmingham during the Commonwealth Games. More information will be shared with the respective National Olympic Committees and GEF Member Federations as detailed plans are confirmed.
CANOC leaders aim for executive positions on Panam Sports for 2024-2028 term
In early October 2024, Panam Sports, the continental Olympic body for the Americas, will hold its Elective General Assembly in Asuncion, Paraguay. This event holds particular significance for the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC), as its President Keith Joseph will once again contest the presidency of Panam Sports, formerly known as the Pan American Sports Organisation (PASO).
This isn't the first time CANOC has aimed for the highest office within Panam Sports. In 2017, three representatives from CANOC member National Olympic Committees (NOCs) — Jose Joaquin Puello of the Dominican Republic, Richard Peterkin of St. Lucia, and a candidate from St. Vincent and the Grenadines — were nominated to contest the PASO presidency. In a display of Caribbean unity, the region's representatives rallied behind Dr. Puello as the sole candidate. Despite this unified support, Dr. Puello narrowly lost to Chile’s Neven Ilic by just one vote.
As the 2024 election approaches, CANOC's involvement extends beyond the presidential race. Several of its members are vying for positions on the Panam Sports Executive Board, representing Group 2. Grenada’s Veda Bruno-Victor is the sole candidate for the Vice Presidency of the group. Meanwhile, Erskine Simmons of Barbados, Roberto Rivas of Cuba, Sara Rosario of Puerto Rico, Dennis Knight of St. Kitts and Nevis, and Alfred Emmanuel of St. Lucia are competing for three available positions within the group.
Given the limited number of positions available, CANOC must strategically evaluate its candidates to ensure the region is represented as effectively as possible. This process echoes the spirit of solidarity demonstrated in 2017, with the understanding that supporting the best candidates ultimately advances CANOC’s goals and the broader interests of the Caribbean region.
Over the years, CANOC has proven that it possesses the quality, competence, and commitment necessary to play a significant role in international sports. The organization has a rich legacy of breaking barriers and embodying the aspirations of Caribbean peoples. This history of success underscores the importance of the upcoming Panam Sports election, particularly in securing leadership positions that will influence the future of sports across the Americas.
CANOC’s continued growth and impact on global sports are a testament to its belief in the transformative power of sport. As the organization advocates for its nominated members, it does so with the conviction that their success will bring substantial benefits to the Caribbean region through enhanced representation, recognition, and strategic development
Panama to host Women in Sport Forum in historic first for Pan Am Sports
The Panam Sports Women in Sport Commission is ready to make history by organizing the first continental Women in Sport Forum next week in Panama.
Sports leaders from the 41 member countries of Panam Sports will gather to tackle the biggest issues and challenges concerning equality in sports and present strategies to increase representation at every level in National Olympic Committees and sports federations.
The theme of the forum is “Joining the Path for Change” and topics include safe sport, increasing representation, empowerment, best practices, equality and inclusion which will be covered by presentations by leaders in the field and interactive panel discussion workshops.
The Panam Sports Women in Sport Commission is led by its President Alicia Morea (ARG) and members Patricia Lopez (CHI), Fenella Wenham (DMA), Elida Parraga (VEN), Annette Knott (TTO), Monica Franco (PAN), Jane Noel (GRN), Lorena Toriello (GUA), K.A. Juman-Yassin (GUY) and athlete representative Adriana Escobar (ESA).
The commission will meet on May 6 before the two-day forum begins on March 7 at the Sheraton Grand Panama hotel. The complete forum will be live-streamed throughout the world for free on the Panam Sports Channel. The daily program will begin at 9 a.m. local time and conclude in the late afternoon each day.
Many prominent leaders in the worldwide Olympic Movement will speak or join panel discussions during the forum, including International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach and Panam Sports Neven Ilic who will open the forum with their respective video messages.
Panam Sports Secretary General Ivar Sisniega and Panama Olympic Committee President Damaris Young will give the official in-person welcome to the forum. Other speakers and panellists include IOC Vice President Nicole Hoevertsz and IOC Members Laura Chinchilla, Tricia Smith, Maria de la Caridad Colon and Prince Faisal bin Al Hussein, as well as NOC, regional organizations and sport federation leaders such as Marisol Casado, Brian Lewis, Camilo Perez, Mario Moccia, Maria Jose Alcala, among many more.
“We are very excited and proud to organize this first Women-in-Sport Forum to continue our mission to strengthen the voice and representation of women in sports organizations throughout the continent. Working towards greater equality is a constant goal and we hope to see that emphasis at every sports organization in the Americas. I’d like to thank the Olympic Committee of Panama and all of the members of our Women in Sport Commission for their hard work to ensure this event is successful,” said Ivar Sisniega.
Usain Bolt revealed as a co-owner of esports group WYLDE
Usain Bolt has been revealed as a co-owner of esports group WYLDE.
WYLDE (What You Love Doing eSports) was founded two years ago by former JP Morgan investment banker Steve Daly and David Cronin and is based in Dublin, Ireland.
The Irish esports organisation revealed that the Jamaican sprinter will be “involved in a range of activities focused on elevating Wylde’s growing brand”, according to reports.
The 35-year-old Bolt, who retired in 2017, after a career in which he won eight Olympic gold medals, is considered the greatest sprinter of all time. He owns world records of 9.58 and 19.19 for the 100m and 200m, respectively.
“WYLDE is on a journey to becoming one of the biggest brands in the fastest growing sport in the world. In esports, like in track and field, it’s critical to have that competitive, winning mentality,” said Bolt.
“I look forward to working with the WYLDE leadership team to help our players to reach their potential, while also taking care of their physical and mental wellbeing”.
Cronin, a founding shareholder of Irish technology company QUMAS, believes the partnership with the track and field legend will serve to enhance WYLDE global appeal.
“Usain coming on board takes WYLDE to the next level,” he said.
“With his vast competitive experience and Olympic-winning mentality, his guidance will be invaluable as we continue to build professional structures to support the development of our players.”
Bolt, a rabid gamer, teased news of the development on Twitter on Tuesday.
“It’s my time to own a professional sports team. Super excited! Get ready for something big,” he tweeted to his 4.8 million followers.
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