The Spanish Olympic Committee (COE) lamented this Monday the death of Panamanian leader Meliton Sanchez Rivas, honorary member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), highlighting his "long-standing commitment to sport and Olympic ideals" and "his great passion" for the sporting world.

Sanchez Rivas He died Sunday at his home in Panama at the age of 91, due to an illness. As a “sign of respect,” the Olympic flag will fly at half-mast for three days at the Olympic House in Lausanne, headquarters of the IOC.

The IOC's official message following the death of Meliton Sanchez Rivas

The current IOC President, Kirsty Coventry, stated in a press release:

“The IOC expresses its deepest condolences to his family, friends, and the entire Olympic community of Panama and the Americas. His long-standing commitment to sport and the Olympic ideals will be remembered with respect and gratitude.”

The organization emphasized Sanchez Rivas's crucial role in promoting Olympic values, as well as his influence on the institutional development of sport in Latin America.

A life dedicated to the Olympic Movement and Panamanian sport

Meliton Sanchez Rivas was elected to the IOC in 1998, a position he held until 2014. During that time, he served on the Commissions for Women and Sport and for Olympic Culture and Education, from where he contributed “to the promotion of Olympic values ??and education.”

In 2015 he was appointed an honorary member of the IOC, a recognition reserved for figures with an exemplary career within the Olympic Movement.

Between 1982 and 2007 he chaired the Panamanian Olympic Committee, an institution in which he was later named honorary president for life.

During his tenure, as Coventry highlighted, “the Olympic movement in Panama was strengthened and consolidated, leaving a lasting legacy for future generations of athletes.”

Furthermore, the IOC president added: “His contribution far transcended his native country.”highlighting the international impact of his work.

International career and presence at the Olympic Games

Sanchez Rivas also held important positions in the continental sports structure. He was an executive of the Executive Committee of the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO), now Panam Sports, as well as the Bolivarian Sports Organization (BOL), and directed the Central American Sports Organization (CASO). A former baseball and softball player, he began his career in sports administration as an organizer and director of leagues between 1965 and 1975. He served as head of mission at world-class events, including the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, the 1975 Mexico City Pan American Games, the 1979 San Juan Pan American Games, and various editions of the Central American and Caribbean Games. Legacy and impact on Latin American Olympism: The death of Meliton Sanchez Rivas represents a significant loss for Panamanian sport, the IOC, and the Olympic movement in the Americas. His institutional work, strategic vision, and commitment to Olympic education marked an era in sports management on the continent. With the Olympic flag at half-mast in Lausanne, the Olympic world pays tribute to a leader whose influence transcended generations and borders.