Panama, host country of the IV South American Youth Games that are taking place until April 25, has been a member of ODESUR since 1994 and is currently hosting a multi-sport event of the organization for the first time, as part of its vision to raise the profile of its member countries. To materialize that vision, ODESUR has had to restructure itself, mainly addressing those critical points at the institutional level, in a way that would allow it to raise its profile as an organization and thus be able to establish partnerships aimed at the sporting development of its region.

Mario Cilenti, executive director of ODESUR, in an exclusive interview with SportsIn, highlights the vision that has been implemented under the leadership of the organization’s president, Camilo Pérez López Moreira, starting with a thorough internal effort, which helps joint collaboration with the countries of the region. “When Camilo Pérez López Moreira took over ODESUR, the organization had no legal status, it had no bank accounts, everything was in the name of individuals who belonged to the executive committee,” Cilenti admits.

A “transparent, ethical, women’s commission…” ODESUR

“We have managed to regularize everything, standardize it; it is a transparent organization with principles, an ethics commission, a women’s commission, a safe sports commission, a sustainability commission, giving it a structure similar, in its proper proportion, to Panam Sports and the International Olympic Committee. We are very happy not only to organize games but also the sporting development of our region,” describes the Argentine official.

ODESUR has managed to expand its portfolio of sporting events. After giving continuity to the South American Beach Games, it has focused on the young population of athletes from the countries within its organization, with a sporting event that is now celebrating its fourth edition. “The more host countries and the more cities organize games, the better… It is part of ODESUR’s development. We want to share with other countries because in that way infrastructure remains, all the sporting implementation remains for development later, not only before and during the games, but for the future development of the games.”

“Strength for the Games to remain in South America”

With the experience that Asunción, Paraguay, gained by organizing recent events, there is an aspiration for it to be a joint host to stage the Youth Olympic Games, something that has not happened in South America since 2018, when Buenos Aires, Argentina, was host. “Asunción organized the South American Games in 2022, last year the Junior Pan American Games, last year it won the bid for Asunción 2031, which are the Pan American Games, and currently Asunción is one of the candidate cities for the Youth Olympic Games along with Chile, which is also from our region, so we are pushing for the Games to stay in South America… and then Bangkok,” Cilenti details.

The South American Youth Games also have a high impact in the countries that host them, not only from a sporting perspective but also as an economic boost. “The city grows; the global exposure that games give to a city is difficult to calculate in value, because if it had to pay to promote Panama, not only as a sporting destination but also as a tourist destination, the exposure that games give to a country, a city, a region goes far beyond the sporting aspect, and that is the type of, let’s say, return that is very useful for governments to continue encouraging the organization of sporting events,” Cilenti states.

“A very nice message from Kirsty Coventry”

The work that ODESUR has been carrying out, chaired by Camilo Pérez López Moreira, has not gone unnoticed by the International Olympic Committee, thanks to the institutional growth that has had a positive impact on the countries of the region, especially when the president is an IOC member. “It is very important; our president is an IOC member, so we received a very nice message from president Kirsty Coventry at our assembly, and also at the opening of the games, so in that sense she is supporting and closely following the development of South America, which is one of the world’s powerhouses,” Cilenti highlighted.

The institutional solidity that ODESUR achieved under the plan implemented since the first administration of Camilo Pérez López Moreira has enabled the organization to bring together the greatest possible talent from the region in attractive events, establishing important commercial links. “By strengthening ODESUR’s image, it also allowed us over time to have sponsors, which is also money that comes into ODESUR and is then returned. We are a non-profit entity and all of that is returned in development, in programs for the Olympic committees, so ODESUR represents the 15 countries and we give back to the 15 countries in different ways to help the development and growth of sport in the region,” Cilenti concludes.