Panama Olympic Committee\'s new president promises unity

The recently elected President of the Panama\'s Olympic Committee (COP), Camilo Amado, Monday announced he would work for the unity of the Panamanian sports\' federations, a problem that has affected the development of the country\'s sport. Amado, who comes from the gymnastics federation and who was unanimously elected Sunday during a process called by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said the problem of double federations was caused by the COP, cited by local television channel Telemetro. Amado said the COP abrogated the right to qualify the federations, a right which corresponds to the Panamanian government. The new COP president said that the first task of the board of directors will be to discuss with the authorities of the Panamanian Sports Institute (Pandeportes) and from the international federations to seek an agreement to resolve a single representative for the sports field in Panama. Amado said that the COP\'s new authorities\' relation with Pandeportes is good and it will continue like that. He said it\'s essential to work for the athletes, for a new status, and to obtain a seat, as well as to finish with the legal problems that affect sports in Panama. The COP\'s previous board of directors, headed by Miguel Sanchiz, has kept a legal dispute for challenges to the election process of the new board. The COI had called the previous board to follow a waybill to execute the election process in the COP because Sanchiz had decided to suspend the elective general assembly.