By Nick Butler

Next week's PASO General Assembly has been postponed due to the ill health of Mario Vázquez Raña ©PASONext week's General Assembly of the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) has been postponed, reportedly because of health concerns affecting President Mario Vázquez Raña.


The General Assembly, seen as an important step on the road to the Toronto 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games next July, was due to start on Sunday (September 7) at the Mexican beach resort Puerto Vallarta and last until the following Wednesday (September 10).

But insidethegames has learned that delegates from each of the 41 NOCs affiliated to PASO have received a letter notifying them that the meeting has been cancelled. 

It is believed the ill health of the 82-year-old, who headed the Association of National Olympic Committees from 1979 to 2012, was the reason for the postponement.

No new date has yet been given for the annual meeting.

The Pan American Sports Organization General Assembly was scheduled to take place in the Mexican resort town of Puerto Vallarta ©Getty ImagesThe Pan American Sports Organization General Assembly was scheduled to take place in the Mexican resort town of Puerto Vallarta ©Getty Images



The postponement comes at a crucial stage in preparations with just 10 months to go until Toronto 2015, taking place on July 10 to 26 next year.

Early preparations for the next edition of the Games, taking place in Lima in 2019, were also due to have been discussed, with the Peruvian capital having been awarded the Games at the last PASO General Assembly in Toronto last October.

Other than that, ensuring the development of Pan American nations in a sporting sense can also have been expected to feature, with less than two years to go until Rio 2016, the first Summer Olympics on Pan American soil since Atlanta 1996.  

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