Peru: Give Us Sporting Chance for Pan-Am Games

Hoping to host its first-ever major international sporting event, the government of Peru has asked Canada to scuttle its own bid for Toronto to host the 2015 Pan-American Games, according to a letter obtained by Embassy.

Peruvian Ambassador Jorge Juan Castaneda Mendez sent the communication on July 23 to Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon, Minister of State for Sport Gary Lunn and Michael Chambers, who is president of the Canadian Olympic Committee and sits on the board of directors for the Toronto 2015 bid.

The ambassador says Canada's sport and infrastructure development is more in line with games like the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. He called on the Canadian government's Olympic spirit to support his argument.

"Considering the Olympic Principles of encouraging equal participation and involvement...Peru has requested the Canadian Olympic Committee to consider postponing its bid and support the one from Lima for the organization of 2015 Pan-American Games," the letter reads.

"Peru has never organized a major sporting event at either world or hemispheric levels. That is why the people and government of Peru see with enthusiasm and great expectation the possibility of organizing—for the first time in our history—the 2015 Pan-American Games in the capital city."

Toronto, Lima and Bogota, Colombia are competing for the games, which are held every four years and often feature qualifying events for the following year's Olympic Games. The Pan-Am Games are the second-largest international summer multi-sport event, with athletes from 42 countries in North, South, and Central America and the Caribbean competing. Canada has hosted the games twice, both times in Winnipeg, in 1967 and 1999. The 2007 games were in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the 2011 games will be in Guadalajara, Mexico.

The letter says a positive response to the Peruvian request would be "a gesture of generosity from Canada."

Peru is recovering from an extended civil war that ran from 1980 to 2000. President Alan Garcia Perez is keen to bring an international event to the country to boost the spirits of Peruvians. Mr. Castaneda Mendez wrote in the letter that hosting the event "would highlight what our country has achieved to consolidate its socioeconomic development, in which sport plays a significant role as a vehicle of understanding among the people of the Americas."

"In addition, the investment to build and renew the infrastructure connected to the games will have a very positive impact in boosting sport as a whole in Peru," the letter continues.

The ambassador says it's Canada's right to bid for the games, and that Peru will respect the decision to continue the challenge for host country.

"We have never had a competition of that sort so for us, if we win the bid, we will need infrastructure, we will need to invest money for the Pan-Americanos," Mr. Castaneda Mendez said in an interview.

David Peterson, the former Ontario premier who is chairing the bid, says he's aware of Peru's request, but that the Toronto team will press on.

"There's no question about that. They have every right to request that but we've got a very, very strong bid and I'm very optimistic," he said before boarding a plane back from Jamaica, where he'd been travelling on bid business.

In summarizing the arguments in favour of holding the games in Toronto, Mr. Peterson pointed to the city's vibrant multicultural community, the transportation and sport facilities available, as well as Toronto's high level of security and Canada's reputation for running international sporting events. He also emphasized municipal, provincial and federal government support for the bid.

"There's a high degree of enthusiasm coalescing around this in a way that rarely happens in intergovernmental relationships," Mr. Peterson said.

Sport Minister Lunn said that even though Canada will host the 2010 Winter Olympics, the last international sporting event Ontario hosted was in 1930.

While Mr. Lunn said he doesn't discuss personal correspondence, he responded to questions about the Peruvian request.

"I understand their request," Mr. Lunn said. "They've never hosted international games before and they're quite keen.

"We have a very good relationship with Peru," he added. "[But] I've responded through the ambassador that that's not something we can entertain. The government of Canada is very committed to 2015 bid for the Pan-Am games."

Mr. Lunn says Canada is "in this to win," but that Canada would consider supporting a future bid by Peru.

The next step for Canada is a visit next month by the bid evaluation committee.

"They will examine every single aspect of our bid," Mr. Peterson said. "It's just in excruciating detail, budgeted completely and every aspect thought through. So I think on the substance we're very, very strong."

Mr. Castaneda Mendez isn't giving up hope, however.

"We can expect until the last moment that the decision will be made that maybe Canada could change their minds," he said. "It is being considered and when we get official reply then we will know how Canada has done, officially."

lpayton@embassymag.ca

http://embassymag.ca/page/printpage/peru-8-5-2009