The awards were presented on the opening day of the Panam Sports General Assembly here today, with the organisation’s President Neven Ilic praising their over 40 years to developing sport in the region.

“We would like to award these two colleagues,” Ilic said.

“We would like to thank you, thank you for all of this time you have dedicated to sport.

“You are great leaders for us.

“In the name of sport here, we just want to say we admire all you have done for sport and we would like to say thank you very much.”

Stoute had served as Barbados Olympic Association President since 1996 after spending the previous 28 years as secretary general.

He stepped down as President last year and also stood down as President of the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees last year.

He remains President of the Central American and Caribbean Sports Organisation and recently oversaw the  Barranquilla 2018 Games in Colombia earlier this year.

He has been rewarded for his service with the Silver Crown of Merit in Barbados and the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Olympic Order of Merit.

“For me this is totally unexpected and deeply appreciated,” Stoute said.

“We have dedicated our life to the youth of the region, to sport and the development of sport.

“Again, this is a tremendous honour and I would like to thank my colleagues in Barbados who supported me over the years and mostly my Caribbean colleagues, I thank each and every one of you.”

Fennell has been honoured following an lengthy career as a sports administrator, having served as Jamaican Olympic Committee President for 40 years, before stepping down last year.

He oversaw a huge period of change within Jamaican sport since first being elected President in 1977, with the Caribbean island having won 65 Olympic medals, including 18 gold, under his rule.

Fennell served as Jamaica’s Chef de Mission at numerous Pan American Games and Olympics.

He also was the President of the Commonwealth Games Federation from 1998 until 2011, before being named the organisation’s Honorary Life President.

Fennell has previously been a vice-president of the Pan American Sport Organisation, since known as Panam Sports.

The Jamaican has been a long-standing member of the Executive Committee and has chaired the organisation’s technical commission since 2003.

“This is something that I want to thank everyone for,” Fennell said.

“I represent Jamaica, I represent sport.

“We do this for the love of sport and the love of sport in the Americas.

“I want to thank the many people who have assisted me over the years.

“I thank you all very much, this is really a wonderful gesture.”

Prior to his career in sports administration, Fennel won two silver medals in water polo at the Central American and Caribbean Games.

He also competed at the third edition of the Pan American Games in Sao Paolo, Brazil in 1959.