The Argentine/National Olympic
Committee (NOC) announced the names of
our country delegation who will participate at the ninth Edition of
this Competition to be held from the 19th throughout to the 31st March
in Medellin, Colombia.
The President of the Argentine Committee, Mr. Gerardo Werthein, the
Organization Secretary, Mr. Mario Moccia, the South American chef de
mission, Gabriel Curuchet, the Athletes Commission rep, Juan Curuchet,
and the National Sports Secretary, Claudio Morresi, participated at the
Event where the Argentine delegation for the next SASO (ODESUR*) South
American Games has been introduced. *South American Sports Organization
During the event, the NOC’s authorities showed their gratitude for
the commitment by the Companies acting as sponsors of this initiative.
These Companies are Aeropuertos Argentina 2000, and Julio Ernesto Gutierrez Conte and the Standard Bank.
Werthein highlighted that” from the moment we took on NOC management we
tried to establish a plural open and participating arrangement by
working with a wide esprit de corps. We’ve reached many things in the
short term and we must continue doing so through actions. The road that
the NOC will travel throughout our management will be standing by the
athletes not only at the competition dates but throughout the whole
year. We have had available resources enough so that every Federation
was able to get fit for these South American Games. We strongly think
that our athletes will represent us perfectly well.”
NOC’s President also stressed that “We have to work to widen the pyramid
base, so that many children may approach Sports. In this way we will
succeed in building a better society. I truly hope that -from the
recently created ENARD (The National Board of High Performance Sports) –
we will be even closer to the Sports people to help them, and I’d like
to ask all of you to join this project. We need that this project is
made known and that each of you are convinced that this is a feasible
project so that we can carry on with it working together, side by side”
Claudio Morresi, the National Sports Secretary, highlighted that “what
is important is the joint work we’ve been doing through our Olympic
Committee. We are aware of the things we’ve done as well as of the ones
still to do but I feel strongly happy of seeing our athletes compete
under the same conditions as the other countries’. Sometimes we hear
talk about State politics and may be this sounds cliché. From the
Secretariat, and together with the NOC, we will continue working to show
that we are making progress in this serious project and it is not just
words”
On behalf of athletes, Juan Curuchet maintained that “our Commission
will be represented by Nora Vega in Medellin, who has learned a lot from
someone I’d like to specially say thank you to and who will be the
Assistant chef de mission for these Games, María Julia Garisoain. She
has worked a lot and she will sure continue doing so for the athletes’
benefit”
Gabriel Curuchet, who will be the chef de mission for the South American
Group, stated that, “I feel strongly proud. And it is a big honor for
me and I feel strongly committed with the role I’ve been vested with. I
am sure that our athletes will represent us in their best way they can
make it and will make us step on the overall medal podium. I feel a
strong support because we have made up a big team. There are very
experienced people working with us and this makes me fully pleased”
NOC General Secretary, Mario Moccia, commented that “these Games are the
first link of the Olympic cycle and will serve as qualifying matches
for various sports disciplines and this is a further significant
incentive for our athletes.
Argentina, except for Río de Janeiro 2002, always finished at the top of
the medal standings of the South American Games. In this opportunity we
aspire to this, to be the best, but we know that it will not be that
easy, although we are convinced we will be in the run for the three top
positions together with Colombia and Brazil”.
At the time of giving the motherland flag to flag bearer Walter Pérez,
Werthein and Morresi decided to leave aside protocol and invited Juan
Curuchet, his team fellow throughout so many years -who with he obtained
the golden medal at the Beijing Olympic Games Americas contest – to
keep up the ritual. Walter Pérez thanked every sport Team leader “for
having voted me to be the delegation flag bearer. Representing our
country at a competition is superlative, and holding the national flag
makes me immensely proud”
