● From our sister site, TheSportsExaminer.com ●
In what turned to be a very close vote, the 40 National Olympic Committees voting online on Tuesday to select the new host for the 2027 Pan American Games, went for 2019 host Lima, Peru by 28-24 over Asuncion, Paraguay.
The Extraordinary General Assembly of Panam Sports become necessary when Barranquilla, Colombia was relieved of hosting responsibilities at the beginning of the year, after missing multiple contractual obligations, including a $4 million hosting fee payment.
The rapid replacement process ended Tuesday with strong, 40-minute presentations from both bidders, in Miami, although most of the NOC attended by video.
Peru’s National Olympic Committee President, Renzo Manyari, said Lima was “an option that will ensure extraordinary Games,” emphasizing that by choosing Lima, “we all win.” A video greeting from Peruvian President Dina Boluarte was shown and both Prime Minister Gustavo Adrianzen and Lima Mayor Rafael Lopez Aliaga made presentations. Speaking to doing the Games again in just eight years, Manyari enthused, “We will do it better!”
The sports venues from 2019 are all available, as is the Pan American Village, with five additional towers to be built whether the Pan Ams were awarded or not, to increase the capacity to 8,936 beds to accommodate the new LA28 sports that will be added to the program.
The Peruvian government has guaranteed the budget of the Games at $369,152,896 U.S. The timing of the Games is flexible, with the presentation offering January, or July or the likely preferred timing of September.
The Asuncion presentation was both impressive and aggressive. After an introduction by National Olympic Committee chief Camilo Perez, Paraguayan President Santiago Pena appeared live via video from Asuncion and gave an impassioned, well-delivered pitch to the delegates, promising full government support of the overall project and the budget of $315,915,615 U.S.
Moreover, Pena stayed on through the question-and-answer session and right through the actual vote. The presentation emphasized that 92% of the venues are existing and that 80% of the competitions will be held in two large park complexes, with nearly all of the facilities within a 30-minute driving radius.
The Asuncion offer was to hold the Games in the last half of July, and a remarkable offer was made to invite all of the Pan American NOCs to a pre-Games training camp opportunity in Asuncion for eight days and up to 30 people between October 2026 and April 2027, at no cost to the NOCs for air or ground travel, lodging and meals, an investment of $1.75 million by the Paraguayan government.
The weakness of the bid was that the Pan American Village is still to be built and while it is a housing project which is going to be constructed regardless of the Games, the timeframe to be ready for 2027 requires a very tight, 24-month timetable. That may have made the difference.
But the enthusiasm and interest of Paraguay, which has never hosted the Pan American Games, but showed it was a quality candidate with the staging of the 2022 South American Games, is a clear candidate for the future.
The selection, announced by Panam Sports President Neven Ilic (CHI) in Miami at 11:59 a.m. was for 28 votes for Lima and 24 for Asuncion. Said a delighted Manyari after the vote:
“We are happy for this triumph. We will work to make everyone’s experience the best they have ever had, and they have the absolute devotion of more than 33 million Peruvians. Thanks for trusting us.”
Observed: Lima won a close vote, but Asuncion’s presentation and especially the presence of the nation’s president for most of the session, was forceful and memorable. Asuncion will host the second Junior Pan American Games in July 2025, and if successful, should get Panam Sports to consider recruiting Paraguay to host the 2031 Pan American Games without delay.
In Lima, Panam Sports has the safe hands it desires with only three years to go, with the sports venues in place, experienced staff from 2019 and a Pan American Village that it still available, although with new towers to build.
~ Rich Perelman
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