PEDRO PABLO DE VINATEA TO GO FOR GOLD IN BADMINTON

He always had a solid dream: to see a venue crowded with fans supporting the Peruvian athletes and Lima 2019 gave him the chance to make it possible. “Para badminton for everybody” was his ideal years ago and he saw it at the VIDENA Sports Center 2 this afternoon. On the court 1, he qualified to the final in the SL3 class (Para athletes with little balance), while his partner Pilar Jáuregui also took the victory.

The Lima 2019 Ambassador had to push himself to the limit to defeat the Cuban Rolando Bello in two sets (21-14 and 21-15), in a match of highest physical effort that lasted more than 43 minutes. At the end of the match, De Vinatea asked for a round of applause for his opponent, who has been competing with him for several years in the professional circuit.

“I’m very proud to see this audience enjoying Para badminton, which is one of the first sports that evolved strongly in Peru. That’s why we’ve come to Lima 2019 with 5 years of preparation and seasoned players who reach the final stages. The support received before is now yielding results,” he said.

Pedro Pablo will compete for the gold medal against the winner of the match between Brazilian Leonardo Zuffo and Canadian William Roussy. At 15 and 21 years old, respectively, both are the new best Para badminton players in the Americas, with medals in Pan American tournaments. The competition is tomorrow at 15:00.

“I’ll face the final with the same mentality: so focused, without pressure, and fighting point by point, countering the strengths of my opponent. Surely, there will be a similar environment and with the people’s support we will try to win the gold medal,” added the Lima 2019 Ambassador.