The Spanish Olympic Committee (COE) lamented on Monday the death of Panamanian Melitón Sánchez Rivas, an honorary member of this institution, highlighting his "prolonged commitment to sport and the Olympic ideals" and his "great passion" for this field.
Sánchez Rivas was elected a member of the IOC in 1998, a position he held until 2014, during which he held various responsibilities, including as a member of the Commissions for Women and Sport and for Culture and Olympic Education, through which he contributed "to the promotion of Olympic values and education".
Sánchez Rivas died yesterday, Sunday, at his home in Panama at the age of 91 due to an illness, and as a "sign of respect" for his figure, the Olympic flag will fly at half-mast for three days at the Olympic House in Lausanne (Switzerland).
He presided over the Panamanian Olympic Committee from 1982 to 2007, after which he became a lifetime honorary president.
"The IOC expresses its deepest condolences to his family, friends, and the entire Olympic community of Panama and America. During his tenure at the helm of the national body, 'the Olympic movement in Panama was strengthened and consolidated, leaving a lasting legacy for future generations of athletes,' praises Coventry.
"His prolonged commitment to sport and the Olympic ideals will be remembered with respect and gratitude," states the institution's president, Kirsty Coventry, in a statement.
"His contribution transcended his native country," adds the IOC president, an institution in which he was designated an honorary member in 2015.
He was head of mission at several major Olympic Games, including Munich 1972 and Montreal 1976, the Pan American Games in Mexico 1975 and San Juan 1979, and the Central American and Caribbean Games of 1974, 1978, and 1982.
He was also a member of the Executive Committee of the Pan American Sports Organization (ODEPA) and the Bolivarian Sports Organization (ODEBO) and directed the Central American Sports Organization (ORDECA).
A former baseball and softball player, he began his sports administration career as an organizer and director of leagues in these sports from 1965 to 1975.
