Those of a certain generation will remember when Indianapolis took the international spotlight in August 1987, hosting the 10th Pan American Games — officially known as the “X Pan American Games.” But the road to hosting the games began years earlier, in 1983.
Santiago, Chile, was originally selected to host the games that year. However, due to political and financial instability, Chile withdrew. The Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) then selected Quito, Ecuador, but they, too, later stepped down.
PASO held a new vote to determine the next host city. A key requirement was that the host already have the needed sports venues in place for the games.
Cuba expressed a strong interest in hosting the 1987 games, but PASO did not select them. In response, Fidel Castro, then the prime minister of Cuba, threatened a boycott of the games.
Pan American Games: fast facts
- The Pan American Sports Organization was created in 1948 and was formally recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
- Its first president was Avery Brundage, a former Olympic athlete and sports administrator of the United States, serving until 1951.
- The Pan American games involved all countries of the Americas; those in the Western Hemisphere.
- The first games were held in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1951.
- The Pan Am Games is a multisport event, like the Olympics, is held every four years — usually the year before the Summer Olympics.
- Much like the Olympics, the Pan Am games have a junior division game for younger rising athletes as well as the Parapan American games for athletes with a physical disability.
Around this time, Indianapolis was already preparing a bid for the 1991 Pan Am games — so the United States Olympic Committee asked to step up and host the 1987 games. PASO agreed, under the condition that Cuba would receive the 1991 games and in return, Cuba would commit to participating in the 1987 competition.
Cuban athletes had not competed in the United States since the Cuban Revolution. Their participation added a layer of political tension and competitive drama that captured international attention.
Given that most athletes from the Americas were Spanish-speaking, Indianapolis’s local Latino community played a vital role in the planning and execution of the X Pan Am Games. In 1985, Indianapolis prepared to host the Pan American Congress, a meeting of PASO delegates to plan for the upcoming games.
By that time, Latino lead committees were already in place. These committees were in charge of organizing medical care for athletes, recruitment of Spanish-speaking volunteers and overseeing human resources.
The committees also showcased the diversity of the city’s Latino population and its community leaders. Those committee heads were:
- Orencio Diaz, Cuban, former Stokely Van Camp executive
- Dr. Josue Villalta, Colombian, a physician
- Alfredo “Fred” Garcia, Mexican American, director of the Hispano-American Multi-Service Center (which later became La Plaza)
- Graciela Espinosa, Mexican, a specialist at Indiana National Bank’s International Division and radio host for WIAN’s La Voz Latino (WIAN later became WFYI)
- Elba Gonzalez, Puerto Rican, president of Fiesta Indianapolis and cultural coordinator at the Hispano-American Multi-Service Center
Many Hoosier Latinos of Latin American heritage served as volunteers, working directly with Spanish-speaking teams.
Hosting the Pan-American Congress was such a big deal that Fiesta Indianapolis was rescheduled. It was originally planned to take place in September at Obelisk Square, but it was relocated to Monument Circle in August. It was at this joint celebration of the congress and Fiesta that the official mascot of the X Pan Am Games, “Amigo,” was introduced. The collaboration helped set the cultural tone for the games.
While the paid staff numbered in the hundreds, tens of thousands of volunteers were essential to the event’s success. The games took place from August 7–23, 1987, drawing over 4,300 athletes from 38 countries, competing in nearly 300 events — most of them held in Indianapolis.
However, several events were hosted around the state: Yachting took place on Lake Michigan in Michigan City; equestrian events were held at Hoosier Horse Park in Edinburgh; biking competitions happened in Brown County State Park in Nashville; and roller hockey and roller figure skating were held at Carmel Ice Skadium.
While existing sports venues across Indianapolis were heavily used, some iconic spaces took on new roles. Hilbert Circle Theatre, home of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, hosted the weightlifting competitions.
The 1987 Pan American Games were a landmark moment not just in sports, but in diplomacy, culture and community engagement. Indianapolis not only rose to the occasion, it solidified its image as the amateur sports capital of the world.
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Nicole Martinez-LeGrand is a Mirror Indy freelance contributor. You can reach her at nicole.martinez.legrand@gmail.com.
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