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PANAMERICAN RECOGNITION

25 YEARS OF HISTORY

in 1991, with Dr. Julio Maglione, Mr. Mario Vázquez Raña, President of ANOC With IFBB founder Ben Weider C.M. in a visit to Puerto Rico in 1989, to
between 1979 and 2012; D. Pere Miró, director of Olympic Solidarity and D. establish the first contacts with PASO, in a meeting with Dr. Julio Maglione,
Feliciano Mayoral, at that moment, General Secretary of ANOC, with the occasion already President of the Olympic Committee of Uruguay, position that he
of a Olympic meeting in Canada. occupies since 1987.
The establishment and implementation of a strict Anti-Doping and proudly promote this great heritage that constitutes Olympic
Program at the national level, in accordance with IFBB Anti- recognition for all of us in America.
Doping Regulations and the WADA Code, is now an indispensable
requirement for all IFBB national affiliated federations. The story continues /Barranquilla, Colombia
This continental recognition by the Olympic family reinforces (February 2017)
the relationship between already recognized National Federations It is very gratifying to confirm that, at the CACSO meeting
and their Olympic Committees. It also opens the way to those (Central American and Caribbean Sports Organization), our
National Federations that are not yet recognized; in which case, they incorporation into the Central American and Caribbean Games in
must initiate procedures to obtain recognition as soon as possible. Barranquilla, Colombia, (June 2018) was achieved as an invited
This recognition requests to National Olympic Committees sport.
should be carried out with the most positive and receptive attitude This is a great success, in view of the program and budget been
from our national federations and with all the prudence, already closed. This excellent result will allow our Caribbean and
consideration and respect that Olympism and National Olympic Central American athletes to start participating in these Games,
Committees deserve. The IFBB will be available to assist in these which were founded in 1926; the second oldest games of the
recognition processes, providing documentation and advice when Olympic program (after the Summer Olympics).
necessary. We also attained official participant’s status, as a medalist
Those National Federations with recognition by their Olympic sport, in the Bolivarian Games in Santa Marta, Colombia
Committee will do everything necessary to consolidate and (November 2017), and Sea/Beach Bolivarians, which will be held in
reinforce it. Venezuela (February 2018).
We will be in contact soon to carry forward this enormous
PANAMERICAN Championships work, in solidarity and in the best team spirit, paving the way for
The site and dates for our 2017 Pan American Championships will future achievements in the world of Olympism; which will feed a
be announced soon. It will be an event for which the appropriate great legacy for future generations. Our sport, our athletes and the
classification criteria must be established considering different memory of our founder deserve it.
aspects; such as recognition status by national authorities and With my most cordial greetings,
national level application of IFBB Anti-Doping. These standards
will be applied to all athletes participating in the Games, taking all
necessary measures so that our athletes and sport can maintain Rafael Santonja

In the picture is President
Santonja with Economist
Danilo Carrera, President
of ODEBO (Bolivarian
Sports Organization).

One of the most recent images, in February 2017, in Barranquilla (Colombia);
together with Mr. Héctor Cardona, President of ODECABE, Mr. Edwin Ross, President
of the Aruba Olympic Committee - and General Juan Santiago Estrada.

232 2016/2017 BOOK OF THE YEAR