LIMA 2019 VENUE REOPENS DOORS TO HOST PERUVIAN SCHOOL SPORTS GAMES

This morning, the current edition of the Peruvian School Sports Games (JDEN 2019), organized by the Ministry of Education through the Bureau of Physical Education and Sport, was presented at the stunning VIDENA Aquatic Center, with the participation of the Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games medalists. 

Two weeks after the Parapan American Games ended, one of the Lima 2019 venues will reopen its doors, starting this Monday, to host this school sports event that will gather representatives from the 24 regions of Peru.   

Precisely, the swimming competitions will take place at the modern Aquatic Center. The Athletics Stadium, which recently gathered the best athletes in the Americas, will also be used for these Games. Schoolchildren will be able to compete at the highest level in the same conditions. 

The presentation featured Flor Pablo, Minister of Education; Carlos Neuhaus, president of the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee; Sebastián Suito, head of the Peruvian Sports Institute; Susana Córdova from MINEDU’s Bureau of Physical Education and Sport; and Pan American and Parapan American Games medalists María Fernanda Reyes and Piccolo Clemente, Para athlete Carlos Felipa and boxer José María Lúcar; as well as Kimberly Cardoza and Alexia Sotomayor, who competed in the Pan American Games in athletics and swimming, respectively. 

In this meeting, the Minister of Education highlighted the organization of the School Games in the venues built for Lima 2019. “Being in these Lima 2019 facilities is impressive, because they have left us an important legacy, not only in infrastructure. Lima 2019 also left us a cultural and emotional legacy for a country that looks forward to the Bicentennial with hope.” 

“Lima 2019 gave us the opportunity to confirm that we can do things well when we work together. It also allowed us to show our valuable culture. From now on, we hope to establish an alliance so that sports at school will become the starting point to reach high-level competitions,” said the minister. 

Meanwhile, Carlos Neuhaus, on behalf of Lima 2019, expressed his satisfaction with the organization of the School Games in Pan American and Parapan American venues. “These venues are evidence that the effort was worth it. Seeing so many schoolchildren here will be important, because surely more than one of them will reach the Olympic Games, after previously taking part in the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games. My recent work experience was very exciting and beautiful, especially because the athletes filled us with emotion and made history with the number of medals they won. The impact of the Lima 2019 Games was positive and good for Peru. We have done things well, but this was everyone’s job. The Games filled us with pride and motivation, and made an impact on young people. We are still working here,” Neuhaus said. 

More than 2600 students from 24 regions of Peru will participate in the Peruvian School Sports Games, in addition to 154 Para athletes, who will compete for the first time in this type of school tournaments, with the slogan “Everything Begins Here”. The Games will take place from September 16 to 27, 2019. During this period, the best Peruvian school athletes and Para athletes will put their sports skills to the test in a fair competition that will strengthen a healthy school environment. 

IN THE BEST CONDITIONS 

Lima 2019 will grant the use of the 50-meter pool and the warm-up pool of the Aquatic Center, as well as the grandstands seating approximately 2400 people, for this school competition. 

They will be able to use the main 400-meter track at the Athletics Stadium, and the 400-meter track and warm-up areas, as well as the western grandstand, for approximately 3000 people, the long jump pits and the main field for javelin, shot put, discus and hammer throw events. 

School athletes and Para athletes will be able to compete in the best conditions and on stages where world-class stars shone, such as American Nathan Adrian, winner of eight Olympic gold medals; or Omara Durand, the fastest woman in the Paralympic world and winner of three gold medals at Lima 2019. 

This is how Lima 2019 seeks to contribute to forge future generations, inspired by Olympic and Paralympic values, with world-class sports venues to use sports as a tool for social transformation.