Prof. Franco Ascani, Member of IOC Commission for “Culture and Olympic Education” and President of FICTS (Federation Internationale Cinema Television Sportifs) with the Board of Directors and the representatives of 113 Members Countries give the last greetings to Mario Vázquez Raña.
Mario Vázquez Raña
A member of the IOC from 1991 to 2012, Vázquez Raña played a central role in promoting sport and the Olympic Movement in his home nation of Mexico, the Americas and around the world.
His three decades of service to the IOC included appointments as Executive Board member, Chairman of Olympic Solidarity (2002-2012), and President of the Organising Committee for the 114th IOC Session in Mexico City (2002). He was also a member of the following Commissions: Olympic Movement (1990-1999); Preparation of the XII Olympic Congress (1990-1994); Apartheid and Olympism (1990-1992); IOC 2000 Executive Committee (1999); Marketing (2000); IOC 2000 Reform Follow-up (2002); and 2009 Congress (2009-2010).
Vázquez Raña headed the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) from 1979 to 2012, and was Chairman of the Pan American Sports Organisation (PASO) from 1975 until his death.
His sport of choice was shooting, and Vázquez Raña participated in shooting competitions at the national and international level. He went on to become President of the Mexican Shooting Federation (1969-1974) and President of the American Shooting Confederation (1973-1979). He was also Vice-President of the Mexican Sports Confederation (1973-1976) and President of the Mexican National Olympic Committee (1974-2001).
A successful businessman and publisher, Vázquez Raña was President of the Board of Directors of the Hermanos Vázquez Company (1960-1980); President and Director General of the Organización Editorial Mexicana (1975-2015), the largest newspaper company in Latin America; President and Director General of Cartones Ponderosa (2001-2015); and owner of United Press International (1985-1988).