The Pan American Sports Organization (acronym: PASO; , ODEPA) is an international organization

International organization

An intergovernmental organization, sometimes rendered as an international governmental organization and both abbreviated as IGO, is an organization composed primarily of sovereign states , or of other intergovernmental organizations...

 which represents the current 41 National Olympic Committee

National Olympic Committee

National Olympic Committees are the national constituents of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, they are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games...

s of the North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

n and South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

n continents. It is the Continental Association of the Americas. It is affiliated with the International Olympic Committee

International Olympic Committee

The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...

 and its affiliated bodies, including ANOC, the Association of National Olympic Committees.

Presidents

No.	Name	Origin	Date of birth/death	Took office	Left office	Notes
1	Avery Brundage Avery Brundage Avery Brundage was an American amateur athlete, sports official, art collector, and philanthropist. Brundage competed in the 1912 Olympics and was the US national all-around athlete in 1914, 1916 and 1918...	United States	September 28, 1887 – May 8, 1975	1940	1951
2	Jose Maria de Jesus Clark Flores	Mexico	1908 – 1971	1951	1955
3	Doug Roby Doug Roby Douglas Fergusson Roby was an American athlete and Olympics official. After playing football at Phillips University and the University of Michigan, he worked for American Metal Products Company, an automobile parts manufacturer, from 1923 to 1963...	United States	March 24, 1898 – March 31, 1992	1955	1959
4	Jose Maria de Jesus Clark Flores	Mexico	1908 – 1971	1959	1971
5	Sylvio de Magalhaes Padilha	Brazil	1909 – 2002	1971	1971
6	Jose Beracasa Amran	Venezuela	1909 – 2002	1971	1975
7	Mario Vázquez Raña Mario Vazquez Raña Mario Vázquez Raña is a Mexican businessman and sports administrator, who has served on both national and Olympic committees...	Mexico	June 7, 1932 –	1975		Longest serving president.

Served as acting president for two months as his predecessor died in office.

Flag

Just like the International Olympic Committee, the Pan American Sports Organization has its own flag. The flag has the four words, "América", "Espírito", "Sports" and "Fraternité", each respectively in one of the four official languages of the organization, namely Spanish, Portuguese, English and French. Also, on the flag is a torch along with the Olympic Rings and five circles with the official colours of the Olympics on a white background. Finally, the words PASO and ODEPA are written to indicate the organization the flag represents.

Member countries

In the following table, the year in which the NOC was recognized by the International Olympic Committee

International Olympic Committee

The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...

 (IOC) is also given if it is different from the year in which the NOC was created.

Nation	Code	National Olympic Committee National Olympic Committee National Olympic Committees are the national constituents of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, they are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games...	Created	Ref.
Antigua and Barbuda	ANT	The Antigua and Barbuda Olympic Association The Antigua and Barbuda Olympic Association The Antigua and Barbuda Olympic Committee is the National Olympic Committee representing Antigua and Barbuda.- External links :*...	1966/1976	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=ANT
Argentina	ARG	Comité Olímpico Argentino	1923	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=ARG
Aruba	ARU	Comité Olímpico Arubano	1985/1986	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=ARU
The Bahamas	BAH	Bahamas Olympic Association Bahamas Olympic Association Bahamas Olympic Association is the National Olympic Committee representing the Bahamas.-History:By 1969, the Bahamas Olympic Association had as one of its member organisations the national netball association.- External links :**...	1952	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=BAH
Barbados	BAR	Barbados Olympic Association Barbados Olympic Association Barbados Olympic Association, founded in 1962, is the National Olympic Committee for Barbados.-History:Formed after the dissolution of the West Indies Federation in 1962, the Barbados Olympic Association first competed at Olympic level at the 1968 Summer Olympics and has continued to compete at...	1955	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=BAR
Belize	BIZ	Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association	1967	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=BIZ
Bermuda	BER	Bermuda Olympic Association	1935/1936	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=BER
Bolivia	BOL	Comité Olímpico Boliviano	1932/1936	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=BOL
Brazil	BRA	Comitê Olímpico Brasileiro Brazilian Olympic Committee The Brazilian Olympic Committee or BOC is the highest authority in Brazilian sport and the governing body of Brazilian Olympic sport. It was officially founded on June 8, 1914 but World War I caused its official activities to begin only in 1935...	1914/1935	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=BRA
British Virgin Islands	IVB	British Virgin Islands Olympic Committee	1980/1982	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=IVB
Canada	CAN	Canadian Olympic Committee / Comité Olympique Canadien Canadian Olympic Committee The Canadian Olympic Committee - COC is the private, non-profit organization representing Canadian athletes in the International Olympic Committee and the Pan American Games. It was formally recognized by the IOC in 1907. The COC also represents the selection of Canadian cities in their bid for...	1904/1907	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=CAN
Cayman Islands	CAY	Cayman Islands Olympic Committee	1973/1976	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=CAY
Chile	CHI	Comité Olímpico de Chile	1934	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=CHI
Colombia	COL	Comité Olímpico Colombiano	1936/1948	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=COL
Costa Rica	CRC	Comité Olímpico de Costa Rica	1953/1954	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=CRC
Cuba	CUB	Comité Olímpico Cubano	1926/1954	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=CUB
Dominica	DMA	Dominica Olympic Committee	1987/1993	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=DMA
Dominican Republic	DOM	Comité Olímpico Dominicano	1946/1962	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=DOM
Ecuador	ECU	Comité Olímpico Ecuatoriano	1948/1959	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=ECU
El Salvador	ESA	Comité Olímpico de El Salvador	1949/1962	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=ESA
Grenada	GRN	The Grenada Olympic Committee	1984	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=GRN
Guatemala	GUA	Comité Olímpico Guatemalteco	1947	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=GUA
Guyana	GUY	Guyana Olympic Association	1935/1948	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=GUY
Haiti	HAI	Comité Olympique Haïtien	1914/1924	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=HAI
Honduras	HON	Comité Olímpico Hondureño	1956	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=HON
Jamaica	JAM	Jamaica Olympic Association Jamaica Olympic Association Jamaica Olympic Association is the National Olympic Committee representing Jamaica.- External links :**...	1936	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=JAM
Mexico	MEX	Comité Olímpico Mexicano	1923	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=MEX
Nicaragua	NCA	Comité Olímpico Nicaragüense	1959	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=NCA
Panama	PAN	Comité Olímpico Nacional De Panamá	1934/1947	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=PAN
Paraguay	PAR	Comité Olímpico Paraguayo	1970	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=PAR
Peru	PER	Comité Olímpico Peruano	1924/1936	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=PER
Puerto Rico	PUR	Comité Olímpico de Puerto Rico	1948	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=PUR
Saint Kitts and Nevis	SKN	St. Kitts and Nevis Olympic Committee St. Kitts and Nevis Olympic Committee St. Kitts and Nevis Olympic Committee is the National Olympic Committee representing Saint Kitts and Nevis.- External links :*...	1986/1993	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=SKN
Saint Lucia	LCA	St. Lucia Olympic Committee	1987/1993	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=LCA
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	VIN	The St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Olympic Committee	1982/1987	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=VIN
Suriname	SUR	Surinaams Olympisch Comité	1959	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=SUR
Trinidad and Tobago	TRI	Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee is the National Olympic Committee representing Trinidad and Tobago.- External links :**...	1946/1948	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=TRI
United States	USA	United States Olympic Committee United States Olympic Committee The United States Olympic Committee is a non-profit organization that serves as the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States and coordinates the relationship between the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the World Anti-Doping Agency and various...	1894	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=USA
Uruguay	URU	Comité Olímpico Uruguayo	1923	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=URU
Venezuela	VEN	Comité Olímpico Venezolano	1935	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=VEN
	ISV	Virgin Islands Olympic Committee Virgin Islands Olympic Committee Virgin Islands Olympic Committee is the National Olympic Committee representing the United States Virgin Islands.- External links :**...	1967	http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=ISV

Former member: Netherlands Antilles Olympic Committee

Netherlands Antilles Olympic Committee

The Netherlands Antilles Olympic Committee, generally abbreviated NAOC was a member of the IOC from 1950 until 2011. It constituted the National Olympic Committee of the dissolved country Netherlands Antilles which consisted of the islands Aruba , Curaçao, Sint Maarten , Bonaire, Sint Eustatius...

External links

• ODEPA/PASO Official Website
• Americas Paralympic Committee Official Website