Pan American Games - Host City

Parapan American Games rock Toronto

The PANAMANIA cultural festival continues through the Parapan American Games with star acts like Janelle Monae (Photo: TO2015 / Twitter)

Toronto’s sporting achievements continue with the Parapan American Games, which opened on Friday evening with the lighting of a cauldron at the new CIBC Pan Am/Parapan Am Athletics Stadium at York University. 

“The Parapan Am Games are a jaw-dropping display of the power of human beings to excel, to overcome and to be strong,” said Mayor John Tory. “We are excited and ready to welcome athletes and visitors to our great city for these Games. Residents, visitors and a new generation of future athletes will be inspired. Toronto has already seen great triumphs with the Pan Am Games and we will see more with the Parapan Am Games.”

Toronto is hosting the largest ever Parapan Am Games, with more than 1,600 athletes from 28 countries compete in 15 sports at 11 different competition venues. The Parapan Am Games will officially begin when the cauldron is lit at this evening.

The 2015 Parapan American Games serve as a qualifier for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games in all sports.

Venues in Toronto are hosting top athletes from across the Americas in archery, athletics, cycling (road), football 5-a-side, football 7-a-side, sitting volleyball, swimming, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis.

The new Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CIBC Pan Am Aquatics Centre and Field House) in Scarborough hosts the swimming and sitting volleyball events. After the Games, the facility will serve as a world-class water sports training centre as well as the home of the Wheelchair Basketball Canada National Academy. 

Owned by the City of Toronto and the University of Toronto, the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre will open to the community after the Parapan Am Games to provide health and recreation opportunities for Toronto residents and the local community.

The cultural celebration for the Games, PANAMANIA Live continues through the Parapan Am Games. Nathan Phillips Square is hosting free performances from some of the hottest names in Canadian and American popular music.

The City of Toronto is urging visitors and residents to make full use of the city’s public transit system, which it says has the second largest in North America and has the highest per capita ridership rate on the continent.

Toronto is Canada’s largest city and the fourth largest in North America. The city is said to be contemplating a bid for the 2024 or 2028 Olympic Games and the 2025 World Expo. 

 

Toronto 2015’s top tickets selling out fast

Team Canada fans wave Canadian flags at the Ford World Women's Curling Championship March 19, 2014 in Saint John, Canada (Photo: Jamie Roach / Shutterstock)

Toronto’s sports venues are set to be packed out in July, with many of the highest profile events of the Pan American Games selling out fast. 

Tickets for the Opening Ceremony have already sold out while the men’s football (soccer) gold medal game is experiencing some of the highest demand.

Other events for which tickets are keenly sought after include the medal rounds for aquatics, track cycling, BMX, canoe/kayak slalom, beach volleyball and equestrian jumping, where few tickets remain available.

Organisers also expect the men’s baseball and basketball gold medal matches to be packed out, with just a few tickets left on sale. 

“Tickets to see those memorable medal moments are selling quickly,” said Saäd Rafi, chief executive officer of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee (TO2015). 

275,000 tickets to the Pan Am Games have already been sold to sports fans paying upwards of US$16 per ticket. 

“The numbers are beyond our expectations — especially since we haven’t yet announced when Team Canada will be playing, not to mention the countless athletes from across the Americas who are still in the process of qualifying for the Games.

“That said, it was no surprise that the available tickets to our Opening Ceremony, produced by Cirque de Soleil, went fast. It’s sure to be an unforgettable night.”

Other popular events include the athletics track and field 100m finals and 4x100m finals, the rugby sevens finals, the beach and indoor volleyball finals and the closing ceremony, with entertainment provided by Live Nation.

“The Games are a once-in-a-generation chance to see our most elite summer Games athletes compete on home soil and to be part of the high-energy crowd who will be cheering them on and singing our anthem together,” said Rafi.

The sales campaign for the Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games starts in spring 2015. From 7-15, August, some of the world’s best para-athletes will be competing for their chance to go to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

 

Lima mayor: cities will win fight against climate change

 Susana Villarán (left), mayor of Lima, the host city of the 2019 Pan American Games

Cities are often seen as the problem rather than the solution when it comes to pollution – particularly in the rapidly developing world. But according to the mayor of Lima, which hosts global climate negotiations next week, cities are where global environmental challenges can be best tackled.

“The challenge of supporting economic growth and tackling climate change will be met in the world’s cities,” said Susana Villarán, mayor of Lima, speaking on the publication of five studies by the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate ahead of the Global Climate Change Conference in Lima.

Lima, one of the fastest growing cities in Latin America with more than seven million inhabitants, is the focus on one of these studies. The city faces substantial increases in energy bills and more greenhouse gas emissions unless action is taken.

The research conducted for the Global Commission shows that, through effective investments in transport, Lima can reduce its carbon emissions by 15 per cent by 2025 while saving citizens US$1.1bn per annum in energy bills. These investments could be paid back in less than three years, building on the improvements already implemented in the city. 

“Investing in public transport is good for citizens, good for business and good for the climate,” said Villarán. “This study shows that it is in the economic interest of the city and of its people to build better. Clear leadership is now needed to make this vision a reality.”

Lima is just one of many cities that can use transport upgrades to make a massive change to the world’s climate. According to the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, better, more efficient transport systems could enable the world’s 724 largest cities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 1.4 billion tonnes of CO2 a year – greater than the annual emissions of Japan.

Deploying low carbon technologies, such as new building technologies and electric buses, across 30 megacities could create more than 2 million jobs, while avoiding 3 billion tonnes of cumulative greenhouse gas emissions, the Commission says.

Lima is hosting the Pan American Games in 2019, an international mega event that can act as a catalyst for the host city to invest in sustainable urban development. 

The Global Commission also cited the World Cup host city of Curitiba in Brazil, which has accommodated a threefold increase in population since the 1960s while achieving per capita greenhouse gas emissions 25 per cent lower and gasoline consumption 30 per cent lower than the national average. 

“Over the next two decades, cities will grow by over a billion people and generate two thirds of global economic growth,” said Graham Floater of LSE Cities at the London School of Economics and director of the Global Commission’s cities research. 

“If this rapid urban growth is managed badly, we face a world of sprawling, inefficient, polluted cities – and a major climate change risk. But a new breed of cities is emerging with compact, connected development – innovative cities that are more productive, attractive and low carbon.”

The Global Commission highlighted Stockholm for its leadership in reducing emissions by 35% from 1993 to 2010 while its economy grew by 41 per cent. In London, car ownership decreased 6 per cent from 1995 to 2011 as while the city’s economy grew by 40 per cent.

"Mayors and policy-makers adopting low-carbon strategies are making their cities more liveable and more attractive to talent and entrepreneurs, said Ani Dasgupta of the World Resources Institute Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. “The economy and the environment of urban cities go hand-in-hand in creating growth."

 

Toronto on a high tech mission for 2015

The Rogers Centre, formerly known as SkyDome, will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2015 Pan American Games

After bidding for the 1996 and 2008 Summer Olympics, Toronto turned to the 2015 Pan American Games to bring an international mega event to the city. The Ontarian city was picked by the Pan American Sports Organisation (PASO) over rival cities Lima and Bogota to host the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games.

The organising committee of Toronto 2015 has heralded these Games as being particularly environmentally friendly as well as being twice the size of the Winter Olympics held in Vancouver in 2010. The organising committee is planning a spend of US$2.2bn on the event – the most ever spent on a Pan American Games.

A Games this big, held in Canada’s most populous city, needs a huge yet reliable level of infrastructure. US$641 million has been set aside for building and renovating infrastructure in the city. That’s where Allen Vansen, the executive vice-president of operations, sport and venue management, comes in.

Vansen was the former vice-president of Triathlon Canada as well as being the vice-president of Workforce Operations and Integration at the Vancouver 2010 Games before coming to work on the Toronto 2015 organising committee.

His experiences in Vancouver were vital in providing a benchmark for the level of service required at the Pan-American Games, he says. “Working on the Pan-American Games has given us a license to be as innovative as we can be and I think that’s one of the things we’ve really taken to heart as we’ve looked at London and some elements of Sochi in terms of things we can do a little bit differently.”

The organising committee selected two vastly experienced organisations as technology partners in order to achieve this innovation. IT services corporation Atos and networking equipment giant Cisco were chosen as two of the ‘Premier Partners’ of the Games. Atos are the official Games systems integration partner and official provider of timing, scoring and results – crucial Games infrastructure, according to Vansen.

“When you get down to it, nothing’s more important in a Games than the sport and competition and of course timing, scoring and the publishing of those results in critically important. We know with Atos we have a fantastic provider who has tons of Games experience to bring to the table to ensure we deliver those core critical systems.”

Meanwhile, Cisco will be providing the event with wireless network security, unified computing, cloud services, customised Cisco operated stadium Wi-Fi and stadium vision solutions. “With Cisco one of the things we’re pretty excited about is the video and telepresence opportunities that happen for our media at our main press centre,” says Vansen.

But with innovations in technology, communications and networking comes heightened security risks.

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EXCLUSIVE: Santiago gets to work on the 2023 Pan American Games

(Photo: Host City)

Host City: How would you describe Santiago’s journey towards hosting the Games?

Eduardo Della Maggiora: Santiago has been highlighted in Latin America for its good quality of life, safety, connectivity and most recently was ranked as the most technological city in Latin America. Chile is a country that has been growing very rapidly in the previous decades, and has a very open economy, with Free Trade Agreements with more than 60 countries worldwide. The country is generally recognized as one of the most developed and stable economies in Latin America.

The sports community has been growing very quickly as well, with notable international results like becoming Copa America Champions two years in a row and two Olympic gold medals in Tennis. Hosting the Pan American Games was going to happen eventually.

 

Host City: What were the decisive factors in being awarded the Games?

Eduardo Della Maggiora: Political stability, economic stability and already existing sport infrastructure where probably at the top of this list. The country’s love for sports, and everything sports represents, was also probably very high.

Santiago’s connectivity is also a big positive for athletes and visitors of the games; close to 70 per cent of disciplines will take place in five main venues, including where the athletes’ village will be, which are very well connected to public transportation buses and subway.

 

Host City: How much new infrastructure do you need to build?

Eduardo Della Maggiora: There isn’t very much new infrastructure that we need to build, if you compare Santiago 2023 with Lima 2019 for example, which is hosting the Games this year, because we have many venues which are a legacy of the Santiago 2014 South American Games.

New infrastructure that has been announced are a new Hockey fields and a new Paralympic pavilion. The athlete’s village in Ciudad Parque Bicentanario is the largest and most urgent infrastructure project to be started. The project will be 100 per cent privately funded. The Ministry of Housing is in charge of leading the public tendering process, which should kick-off in the coming months.

So, the existing infrastructure is a very good starting point, but some investment will be needed to prepare the city for the Games four years down the road.

 

Host City: What is public support like for the Games?

Eduardo Della Maggiora: Public support– starting from President of Chile – is very high. Everyone is very eager to make it happen as the country has never hosted an event of this magnitude. The Santiago 2014 South American Games were already a big party in the city and country – with full stadiums and lots of interest from the community – which showed the city and country’s interest in these type of sporting events. Santiago 2023 will be the biggest sporting event in our county’s history and Chileans are ready to participate in one way or another .

In November Santiago is hosting the COP 25 Climate Change Conference – this is the biggest event we’ve done in a while and will be a good opportunity to learn how an event of this magnitude works in Chile.

 

Host City: Are the opportunities mainly for local or international suppliers?

Eduardo Della Maggiora: We want to help the local community and thousands of local businesses – but also invite international suppliers. We haven’t hosted an event of this magnitude in the past and there’s a lot of expertise we will need to import. We want to learn from that.

One of the legacies we want to leave is developing local talent in the organization of mega events. We are developing talent within the country, but part of the legacy we want to leave is to bring outside talent into the country. So, it’s going to be a mix of local and international.

This is basically the planning stage, making sure we have the right team and people, that the stadiums and the baseline is compliant with Pan American Games standards, and start working on Gantt chart from today until October 2023 and make sure it happens in the best and most seamless way.

We are assessing what needs to be done in next four years. Right now we are working on branding, mission and values. We are also reviewing the sports programme, speaking to potential sponsors and starting to work on our legacy programme.

 

Host City: How are sponsors engaging with your legacy programme?

Eduardo Della Maggiora: Chile has the sixth highest incidence of childhood obesity in the world – and the highest in Latin America. Improving these figures is an important part of the legacy programme.

We want to tailor the experiences of sponsors in a way that helps them connect with consumers in a very different way, but at the same time positively impacts the lives of millions of Chileans through  sports, volunteering and legacy programmes.

 

The Pan American Games take place in Santiago in October 2023, with approximately 10,000 athletes from 41 nations competing in 39 sports. It is followed by the Para Pan American Games in November.

Ilic and PASO executive committee complete three days of meetings with Lima 2019

Lima 2019 president Carlos Neuhaus (left) with PASO president Neven Ilic

Newly-elected Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) president, Neven Ilic, and the PASO executive committee have completed three days of planning meetings with the Lima 2019 Organising Committee.

During the visit, Ilic and the committee met with key members of the Lima 2019 Organising Committee, including its president, Carlos Neuhaus. The delegation also toured event sites and venues.

The working groups in Lima follow Ilic’s visit to the capital last week where he met with Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and was reassured of Peru’s commitment to successfully delivering the Pan American Games in 2019.

Neuhaus said: “We were delighted to welcome back President Ilic and his team so soon after his initial visit and we have completed three days of very fruitful meetings.

"The knowledge and experience that Mr Ilic and his team possess on the Pan American Games is second to none and it was invaluable to be able to update them on our progress and in return receive their feedback and advice. There is a real sense of energy and urgency from both sides as we begin to accelerate our Pan-American Games' preparations.”

Ilic added: “It was a pleasure to return to Lima following my meetings with President Kuczynski and President Neuhaus last week. Both have demonstrated their full commitment to delivering a successful event and I am convinced that Lima 2019 will be a memorable Pan American Games – but we must make the most of all the time we have left.

"That is why, I immediately returned with my PASO Executive Committee so we could meet with Mr Neuhaus and his team to get an update on the progress being made and strengthen our plan of action for the coming months. Our aim is to improve the coordination between both organisations so that PASO can take a more active role in the delivery of the Games.”

 

New PASO president Neven Ilic to meet with Lima 2019 organising committee

Neven Ilic (Image: Comite Olimpico de Chile)

Neven Ilic, the newly-elected president of the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO), is travelling to Lima to discuss preparations for the Lima 2019 Pan American Games with president of Peru Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and the Lima 2019 organising committee.

On his first international trip as PASO President, Neven Ilic will meet President Kuczynski at the Lima Government Palace on Tuesday at 10:00 local time.

President Kuczynski and the Lima 2019 Organising Committee will use the senior PASO delegation’s visit to the Peruvian capital as an opportunity to present the preparations underway for delivering a world-class event that leaves a positive legacy for Peru and the PASO region.

Lima 2019 president Carlos Neuhaus said: “We very much look forward to welcoming President Ilic to Lima. The new president has made it clear the Pan American Games is a strategic priority for PASO and that is a responsibility all of us here at Lima 2019 take very seriously. We are grateful for the opportunity to show him our progress to date and our plan of action for the coming months.

“We are confident that this is the beginning of strong relationship between Lima 2019 and the new PASO leadership as we work together to deliver a Games that PASO and Peru can be proud of, a great experience for every participant, and a meaningful legacy for the people of Peru and beyond.”

Following his meetings at the Lima Government Palace, President Ilic will travel to the Lima 2019 offices where he will receive presentations on the current status of preparations before being taken on tour of Lima 2019 venues and construction sites.

 

UK to be main delivery partner of Lima 2019 Pan-American Games

UK International Trade Minister Greg Hands has signed an arrangement with the organisers of the 2019 Pan-American Games, making the UK the lead partner in helping deliver the fourth largest sporting event in the world.

The games, hosted in Peru for the first time in Lima in 2019, will bring together the nations of North and South America, with more than 5,000 competitors in 36 different sports. As part of the agreement, a team of UK experts with experience running more than 100 major sporting events including the 2012 London Olympics, will work closely with the Lima 2019 organising committee, helping it deliver the infrastructure and organisation of the games on-time and on-budget.

Contracts worth hundreds of millions of pounds will be open to UK companies to help deliver the organisation of the games in areas like event management, security and construction where the UK is a world-leader having been involved in the organisation of every major international sporting event since the 2000 Olympics.

Carlos Neuhaus, president of the Lima 2019 organising committee, said: “This arrangement with the UK government is fundamental to our progress in successfully organising and delivering the Lima 2019 Games. We are thrilled to be working in close collaboration with our British partners, benefitting from their extensive expertise to make the Lima 2019 Games a success.”

Hands added: “Since the Sydney Games in 2000 the UK has been involved in every major global sporting tournament offering support in areas like construction, transport and event organisation. This new agreement will deliver that world-leading expertise to help make the Lima 2019 Games a success, creating opportunities for UK companies and a lasting legacy for the Peruvian people as we did at London 2012.”

British ambassador to Peru, Anwar Choudhury, added: “This is a significant new milestone for our two countries. We are in this together, as friends and as long-standing partners. Through our support and expertise, we are confident we can make the Lima 2019 Games a tremendous success and leave a lasting legacy for Peru, just as the 2012 Olympic Games did in London.”

Knowledge transfer is also part of the bilateral arrangement. The team of British experts has an accumulated experience of more 100 large sporting events, including the 2012 Olympic Games in London, to help the Special Project ensure effective time-management and quality delivery of the Lima 2019 Pan American Games.