Would Barranquilla be sent back to host the Games or would it compete with more cities?

Unfortunately, there is nothing to celebrate yet. The union and the efforts to save the 2027 Pan American Games, which the national, departmental and district governments have reflected in the appearance and words of President Gustavo Petro, after the meeting next Tuesday in Bogotá, do not guarantee an immediate return of the jousting to Barranquilla.

The “firm decision”, as Panam Sports described it in a statement, to withdraw the relevant multi-sport competitions from ‘la Arenosa’ cannot be reversed at this time. It must go through the extraordinary meeting to be held in mid-February with the 41 member states of the Games’ governing body.

Helmut Bellingrodt, two-time Olympic medalist in sport shooting (Munich 1972 and Los Angeles 1984) and current member of the Colombian Olympic Committee (COC), is not clear on what legally applies to resolve a situation so exotic is like the situation that arose with Colombia.

“Since everything has been atypical, both the election of Barranquilla by acclamation and the withdrawal of the headquarters, I am not sure what the procedure would be to follow. I don’t know if it’s written. “I don’t know him,” Bellingrodt admitted.

However, his experience tells him that the Panam Sports Executive Committee will not rescind its radical resolve on its own following the national government’s failure to make contractual payments for the rights to organize trade fairs and the granting of television rights.

“I personally believe that there will not be a reverse situation. What can happen is that Barranquilla will have to appear again at the General Assembly, which will take place in the month of February, but like another candidate, such as Jalisco, Mexico will be; What will Sao Paulo, Brazil be like? What will Asunción, Paraguay be like? and I don’t know what other city. Panam Sports has already opened a call for applications,” said Bellingrodt.

“It would be best if the Executive Committee returns the headquarters, and that’s all, but I doubt and find it unlikely that they will reverse the resolution already issued by the Panam Sports Committee. I repeat: this is a completely atypical situation. That’s why I imagine the members of the Executive Committee said, ‘we’re not going to interfere in anything’, we’re going to the normal, we’re going to the sensible, we’re going to total democracy and let’s call a meeting, and that the meeting of the 41 countries will determine exactly what course we should follow,” the former gunman added.

In any case, Bellingrodt welcomes Gustavo Petro, who finally puts his chest to the wind and tries to make up for everything that has represented the loss of a headquarters that Barranquilla has earned with care and merit and unanimous acclaim, something unprecedented in history of these fairs.

“The Colombian sports family is very grateful for the expressions of support given by the President during the meeting and later at the press conference. It is something motivating for us as COC and as citizens of Barranquilla and the Caribbean,” he noted.

Bellingrodt reflected on an optimistic forecast and also raised the possibility that a large majority of the 41 countries will abandon a process of several candidate cities and give Colombia another vote of confidence seeing the support that has emerged . President Petro gave a public speech together with Barranquilla Mayor Alejandro Char and Atlántico Governor Eduardo Verano.

“I imagine that America’s national Olympic committees will take away the problem of the lack of support that we have had from the national government to this day. That is a point in our favor, so that they give us support and approval when voting in the General Assembly. That’s what I think might come. The commissions of many countries have always wanted and supported Barranquilla. Since they already had the economic, financial, administrative and logistical support from the national government, they would vote in our favor,” said the former Barranquilla athlete.