Bach, Ilic and Mijaín López

Havana, March 3 (RHC) - "We will wait for Cuba with open arms and we will try to have great Pan American Games," said in Havana the president of Panam Sport, Chilean Neven Ilic, about the presence of the island in the Santiago 2023 event.

"Expect the best of welcomes in Santiago. We are a very warm country, we love the Cubans very much, we like their rhythm and we admire their sporting quality", acknowledged the executive, who is accompanying the head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the German Thomas Bach, on his working visit to the Cuban capital.

In the continent's multi-sport event, to be held from October 20 to November 5, the Antillean delegation expects to repeat its usual prominence.

In a brief exchange with the press, shortly after inaugurating with Bach the new multipurpose surface of the Sports City Coliseum, donated by Panam Sport, Ilic acknowledged the admiration he professes for Cuban sport and ratified the commitment of the organization he directs to its development.

"Cuba has tremendous merits, great athletes and whatever needs they have, we are ready to help," said the IOC member.

In addition to the new small boards now on display at the Coliseum, the sports entity supported the installation of a new athletics track at the Pan American Stadium in Havana.

"During a previous visit I toured the Pan American Stadium and the Sports City and we realized that there were many requirements to be met. The Cuban Olympic Committee, through our friend Ruperto Herrera, asked us for help and we are very happy to be able to contribute in that sense", he explained about the donations.

The Chilean executive was pleased with the results that have been seen so far, and with the use that is being made of both facilities.

He also affirmed that "Cuba has to continue growing, it has a tremendous potential, its population is very sporty, because here they work for sport and there are policies that support that".

In reference to the continental event that his country will host at the end of the current year, he stressed the importance of Cubans attending with their best figures and contributing to provide a good show.

"Cuba is a tremendous player in Pan American Games, Olympic Games and World Championships. You have an enviable history for all Latin American countries and what you do, we admire it very much," he acknowledged.