Although sport was declared a state policy, in March 2022, according to the decree signed by Guillermo Lasso, the President of the Republic, every trip abroad by a national athlete or delegation – whether large or not – implies the repetition of a fact that seems permanent: difficulties due to delays in the delivery of financial obligations. This problem, in its various variants, has been condemned by the Ecuadorian sports federations, the Ecuadorian Paralympic Committee and the Ecuadorian Olympic Committee (COE) every time it has arisen.

Now it’s the turn of the Pan American Games in Santiago 2023 (from October 20 to November 5), the tricolors that will participate in that event and the COE, according to what Jorge Delgado Panchana, president of the Olympic Committee, told EL UNIVERSO. On October 6, John Zambrano Haboud, COE Secretary General, complained about the delay of the Ministry of Sports in the delivery of funds for the organization of the trip to Chile, which complicated, among other things, the purchase of tickets.

“We have to beg Sebastián Palacios for the budget for the 2023 Pan American Games, but it is ineffective and we will not change it anymore,” complains the general secretary of the Ecuadorian Olympic Committee

Delgado, two-time Pan American swimming champion in 1971 and 1975, on the eve of the trip, in an interview originally intended to find out about the possibilities of a medal for Ecuador, denounces that they could currently buy the uniforms of the selected (178, 89 women and 89 men who will compete in 28 disciplines, of which 21 are qualifying for the Olympic Games) because the Ministry of Sports delivered the money to the COE late.

The Ecuadorian Olympic Committee is not destabilizing, Sebastián Palacios, yes

Referring to national sports and athletes with the best chance of winning medals, Delgado says he does not know what kind of “farewell, not flag-waving” ceremony Minister Sebastián Palacios announced because “only the COE can do that and it was not possible.” because we did not have the uniforms of our representatives at the Pan American Games in time.”

What are the general expectations for Ecuadorian sports at the Pan American Games in Santiago 2023?

Our policy was to equal, and if possible, surpass previous results. In Lima 2019, ten gold, seven silver and fourteen bronze medals were won, which is a total of 31 medals. This is how we behaved at the Bolivarian Games, the South American Games and now at the Pan American Games). This is what we expect for Santiago 2023. We are going with 178 athletes, a smaller number compared to those who went to the last tournament.

The Ministry of Sports only gives a ‘part’ of the budget to the Ecuadorian Tae Kwon Do Federation

And why does Ecuador have fewer competitors for Santiago 2023?

Because many athletes did not have the money to travel to the qualifying events for the 2023 Pan American Games. This is because the various Ecuadorian sports federations did not get the money to leave the country with their boys to qualify. In the long term, this problem affected the number of domestic athletes who qualified for the Pan American Games. Everything went to the detriment of the quantity of the delegation and somewhat impaired quality.

‘Without funds from the Ministry of Sports, we have a critical economic situation in the Ecuadorian Cycling Federation. We work with our own resources, president Santiago Rosero laments

But in March 2022, sport was declared a state policy.

This was communicated to our sport, but it did not work as intended.

In which disciplines and with which athletes do you think the chances of winning medals at the Pan American Games are greater?

In wrestling, for girls (Lucía Yépez and Luisa Valverde, especially world and Olympic figures) and for men (the complete team has seven members). With the boxing team (ten boxers in the same number of divisions). There are opportunities in athletics; There, prominent representatives of the marchers (25 representatives, among them the walkers Glenda Morejón and Daniel Pintado). And in weightlifting (Tamara Salazar, bronze medalist at the 2020 Olympic Games, will appear in a delegation of nine weightlifters). And obviously in cycling, with breaking news confirming the presence of Richard Carapazo (2019 Giro d’Italia winner and Tokyo 2020 Olympic road champion. Eight riders will attend, including Jonathan Narváez and Miryam Núñez). These athletes can be considered the leaders of the Ecuadorian delegation.

How complicated was the sports and logistical preparation for the COE, given the delay in the delivery of the budget by the Ministry of Sports? Or was there normality in both aspects?

Everything got complicated. Obviously, if there is no money, everything will be difficult for you. Starting, for example, with the procurement of uniforms.

How long has the Ministry of Sports delayed securing funds for national participation in the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago?

On October 30, 2022, we presented all the conditions for participation in all international competitions in 2023. That is, they had practically a year to be able to manage resources. They were delivered, but not as originally ordered.

Did the COE not have time, due to lack of funds, to organize a flag raising ceremony? The Ministry of Sports will do it.

The problem with flag waving is that you need uniforms to do it. How is this ceremony performed without uniforms? I am carrying (this Tuesday), in additional luggage to Santiago, the uniforms to deliver the vast majority of these clothes to Chile, as the delegation is already traveling. Athletes coming to the Games from abroad must wear their appropriate uniforms. We were not able to get the uniforms of the Ecuadorian athletes because they approved the payment late. Please note that for this management the information must be uploaded to the public procurement portal, the offer must be obtained. All these obstacles slow everything down. One contingent already left on Monday, and the other on Tuesday. The flag raising ceremony (COE) could not be done because we did not have the uniforms of our representatives at the Pan American Games in time.

But the Ministry of Sports will hold a flag-raising ceremony on Wednesday, at the Abel Jiménez Parra Coliseum (Parque Samanes), from 10:00, and the President of the Republic will also attend.

The only person authorized to carry the official flag is the Olympic Committee of Ecuador. If the ministry wants to do something, it cannot be called a flag but a send-off or something like that. But it’s not a flag. Also, what kind of uniforms will the athletes wear at that so-called flag ceremony? I assume they are uniforms given to them by the ministry, but if they spent on it, they should have given it to the COE to get things done in time. There is a crossover in this situation. (D)