Olympic medalists, legends and figures of Argentine sports, politicians, leaders, businessmen, figures from the artistic environment and other personalities celebrated the centenary gala of the Argentine Olympic Committee (COA), which will be fulfilled on December 31st.
The former tennis player Gabriela Sabatini, runner-up at the Seoul ’88 Olympic Games; the former judoka Paula Pareto, gold in Rio de Janeiro 2016; and Luciana Aymar, quadruple medalist with Las Leonas, led the group of distinguished athletes along with the Tandil native Juan Martin del Potro (bronze in London 2012, silver in Rio 2016) and the sailor Santiago Lange, Argentine record holder with seven Olympic participations (three medals).
The celebration took place at Buenos Aires Convention Center with more than 500 guests, among whom were the former president of the COA, member of the IOC Executive Committee and brand new ambassador to the United States, Gerardo Werthein; and the current Undersecretary of Sports, Ricardo Schlieper.
The singer and composer Abel Pintos He was in charge of the opening of the ceremony with the singing of the Argentine National Anthem.
“The country is among all, without divisions and all together We must think of a project. Argentina has to become a power again and we have everything to be one: we have our people, our talents, our capacity and resources. We just have to do it,” Werthein encouraged.
“I had to be part of the one hundred years of the COA with 12 years of work that were, for me, perhaps, one of the best moments of my life. In those moments I had to be inspired by all these athletes who helped me see the path and have a reason for being for the COA. Now I have other duties, but I will continue collaborating from my small place so that Argentina continues to grow”, got engaged.
The current president of the entity, Mario Moccia, said: “We celebrate 100 years of history in which our athletes are our reason for being. “I appreciate the presence of coaches, referees, leaders, international authorities, government authorities, sponsors, journalists and leaders from other countries.”
In turn, the first vice president of the COA, Alicia Masoni from Morea, He indicated: “On a personal level I have two very special thanks. One is the Argentine Olympic Committee that meant part of my life, I spent many years, I learned, it helped me grow, face challenges and complete projects. The second thank you goes to my mentor, I was lucky to have that person who believed in me, who recognized my achievements and took pride in everything I accomplished. “That person was a tremendous athlete and an excellent leader: my husband Enrique Morea.”
On the occasion of the celebration of its centenary, the Argentine Olympic Committee received gifts from sports federations nationals, organizations, entities and personalities, among which the presence of the mayor of the Japanese city of Sakai stood out, where the Pre-Camp of the Argentine Delegation was held prior to the start of the Olympic Games that were held in Tokyo during 2021, Masahiro Hashimoto.
The mayor gave him Moccia one of the three rugby balls in the world remembering the match between Japan and Argentina, played on October 8 of this year, for the World Cup of that activity, and a shirt that the Japanese team used in that match. The gifts will go to COA Museum.
In closing, Moccia wished “a beautiful 2024 for Argentine sport, the Olympic movement, ODESUR, Panam Sports and all of Argentina.”
