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PANAMERICAN RECOGNITION

with PASO President, executives and members of the Pan BARRANQUILLA,
American Games organizing committee. COLOMBIA 2017. with
Colombia Olympic
Committee President
Baltazar Medina at
RIO DE JANEIRO (AUGUST 2016) the ODECABE (Central
At its meeting during the Olympic Games, PASO Executive American and Caribbean
Committee members unanimously approved to submit our Sports Organization)
General Assembly, in
presence in the Pan American Games’ official program to its Barranquilla, Colombia.
General Assembly.
SANTO DOMINGO,
DOHA (NOVEMBER 2016) DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
This great achievement; our full recognition and participation (as a 2016.
medalist sport) in the next Pan American Games – Lima 2019; was Presenting the “IFBB
Spirit of Sport “to Lic.
endorsed with unanimous approval by PASO’s General Assembly Luís Mejía Oviedo -
held in Doha last November, in conjunction with ANOC’s General President of Olympic
Assembly. Committee of the
Dominican Republic
This constitutes the culmination of a dream for America at the 2016 IFBB
initiated in the 1990’s (25 years ago), following the wishes of our World Junior & Master
Championships.
founder – Ben Weider – to achieve Olympic recognition.
Special Thanks
These achievements follow our 2013 recognition by the Olympic SANTO DOMINGO,
Council of Asia (OCA) and our inclusion in its Games, in which the DOMINICAN
IFBB has been participating since 2013 with excellent results. REPUBLIC 2016.
With the prestigious
Our inclusion in the Pan American Games’ Official Program Neurosurgeon Dr. Jose
represents a great opportunity, as well as a great challenge. We have Joaquín Puello - former
Chairman of the
achieved all this thanks to an excellent IFBB teamwork, along with Dominican Republic
the magnificent and inspiring support we have received from Olympic Committee as
international sports authorities, being honored and proud to well as from the ODEPA
Medical Commission
highlight - among them: Dr. JULIO MAGLIONE (PASO President = - being awarded with
Pan American Sports Organization). HRH Sheikh AHMAD AL the “IFBB Gold Order
FAHAD AL-SABAH (OCA President = Olympic Council of Asia & “, during the 2016 IFBB
World Junior & Master
ANOC President). Mag. EMMETT LANG SALMERÓN (ORDECA Championships.
President - Central American Olympic Committees). JOSÉ
QUIÑONES (Peruvian Olympic Committee President & member of
Lima 2019 Organizing Committee). All of them important
International Sports Leaders and friends of the IFBB for many years.
Our deepest gratitude also extended to each of the 41 American
Olympic Committees voting unanimously in our favor at Doha,
giving a great vote of confidence to our sport. To many other
Olympic family officials and friends, to whom we are very grateful.
And to all IFBB officers who execute an intense and successful
performance within our Federation.
I want to convey special commendations to IFBB Special
Advisor, General Juan Santiago Estrada, and IFBB Central COLOMBIA 2017
America Vice President, Ing. Eduardo Abdalah, who shared many Nice dinner with the Venezuelan
moments in this achievement. Olympic Committee, joined by its
President, Ing. Eduardo Alvarez,
Thanks also to Mauricio de Arruda, of the IFBB Anti-Doping accompanied by his wife, Eugenia
Commission, as well as IFBB Vice Presidents and Regional Alvarez, and Ms. Elida Parraga,
Federations Presidents: Jim Manion, Javier Pollock, Aquiles de General Secretary, together with
Cesare, Juan Paredes and Giovanni Arendsz –among others– for their General Santiago Estrada, General
Secretary of Nicaraguan Olympic
excellent leadership; which has solidified of our sport in America. Committee, and his wife Melania. DOHA 2016
The future begins now
This PASO recognition, in addition to being great news, opens the
doors to our future and nearly-official incorporation to a diversity
of regional Games in America; such as the Central American and
Caribbean Games, Bolivarian Games, Bolivarian Beach Games and
South American Games (in which, without a doubt, we’ll integrate
in its 2018 edition soon); being already in the Central American
Games.
An essential ingredient of this achievement has been IFBB’s
strong commitment to the fight against doping, as verified in our
last two editions of the Asian Games organized by the Olympic TORONTO 2015. With Lic. Jimena Saldaña (Panamerican Olympic Committee General Secretary),
Council of Asia (OCA); in which IFBB tested 100% of participating Mag. Emmet Lang Salmeron (President of the Nicaraguan Olympic Committee), Mr. Juan Santiago
Estrada (General Secretary of the Nicaraguan Olympic Committee) and Eng. Eduardo Abdalah (IFBB
athletes with 100% negative results. Vice President for Central America), in Toronto, with the occasion of the Panamerican Games.

2016/2017 BOOK OF THE YEAR 231