Panam Sports adds 2,000 vaccines to Olympic delegation programme

THE PAN American Sports Organisation (Panam Sports) has confirmed a new agreement with the city of Houston, Texas and US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) to procure more covid19 vaccine doses to the region’s participating athletes, officials and delegates of the Tokyo Games and Cali 2021 Junior Pan American Games.

This comes following an overwhelming response from the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of the Americas, who have taken up a recent offer by Panam Sports, to provide 4,000 Johnson & Johnson (one dose) vaccines for Olympic-bound representatives of the Pan American region.

A statement issued by Panam Sports, on Thursday, said they have added 2,000 vaccines to this programme.

“Combined with the 4,000 vaccines available in Miami, Panam Sports is offering a total of 6,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for all athletes, officials and delegates of the Americas that will participate in the in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and Cali 2021 Junior Pan American Games.

“The goal is to allow as many athletes as possible the opportunity to receive the vaccination before the Olympics and Junior Pan American Games,” the statement said.

The vaccination process for the first 4,000 doses begins on May 24 at the Consulate General of Mexico in Miami while the additional doses will be administered in Houston, on June 1, at the city’s airport.

Athletes, delegates and officials already qualified or accredited for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and the Cali 2021 Junior Pan Am Games are being advised to contact their respective NOCs to register and start their vaccination process as soon as possible. Airfare will be paid for by Panam Sports.

TT Olympic Committee president Brian Lewis has already confirmed the local delegation will be using this vaccination drive to have its officials and athletes take the jab ahead of the Games.

It was also stated that the Johnson & Johnson vaccines must be administered at least 30 days before entering Japan. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), however, has not mandated that athletes must be vaccinated to compete at the July 23 to August 8 Games.

Panam Sports president Neven Ilic added, “The response we have received from the NOCs and the athletes is impressive. They are all very grateful, since many did not know where they could be vaccinated and if they would be able to inoculate before competing in Tokyo.

“Our objective that we work and strive towards every day will always be the athletes. That is why having reached these agreements, being able to help them with air travel and taking away their concerns so they can focus on their competition at the Olympic Games, fills us with pride and joy,” said Ilic.

To help facilitate and oversee the vaccination of the region’s athletes, Ilic was scheduled to travel to Miami on Wednesday.

Additionally, IOC president Thomas Bach believes more than 80 per cent of people inside the Tokyo 2020 Athletes' Village will be vaccinated against covid19 during this year's Olympics and has again insisted the Games will be “safe and secure”.

Speaking at the start of the final Coordination Commission meeting for the Games, Bach promised the organisation was prepared to accommodate extra medical staff in Japan to help tackle the pandemic.

In an online report by insidethegame.biz, Bach’s “words can be seen as an attempt to appease the local population with Japanese opposition to Tokyo 2020 on the rise amid fears over covid19”.

An online petition in favour of cancellation attracted 350,000 signatures in just nine days earlier this month, but the IOC and Tokyo 2020 are pushing ahead towards the Opening Ceremony on July 23.

Bach affirmed, “At this moment, already as many as 75 per cent of the residents of the Olympic Village are already vaccinated or have secured vaccination in time before the Olympic Games.

“But our efforts do not stop there. We have good reasons to believe that this figure will be well above 80 per cent. The most important principle is very clear - the Olympic Village is a safe place, and the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 will be organised in a safe way.”