SALVÁ STARTS TO TAKE OFF IN PARA BADMINTON

On more than one occasion, he threw himself to the ground so as not to drop the shuttlecock. He won the match and passed through the mixed zone, serious and almost without smiling.

“I know it could’ve gone better,” Jesús Salvá told us, who in his debut beat Argentinian Ángel Ielpo 2 to 1 in a close match, in VIDENA’s Sports Center 3.

“At last year’s South American Championship we played three sets. Luckily, I beat him again, but we still have to work to reach our goal of winning the gold,” added Salvá.

Salvá, considered amongst South America’s top three in the S6 category (short stature), debuted at Lima 2019 with this victory. The Peruvian fans never stopped cheering him on from the stands, because of his effort and character. They applauded him at the end of the match. “It’s part of my character; it’s part of the game too, because you have to do everything you can to save the shuttlecock and score the point. The cheers really helped me and it’s good that people are coming out to support the Para athletes,” he highlighted.

Jesús will play his second match this Friday against Brazilian Para athlete Tavares, with his mind set on making it to the next stage. “Right now, I have to focus on Lima. Then it will be time to focus on Tokyo and on adding points to qualify,” he concluded.

Peruvians in Action this Friday

The Para badminton competition will begin at 09:00. Jenny Ventocilla will face Canada’s Olivia Meier, while Pilar Jáuregui will seek a place in the semifinal in her match against Cuba’s Maydelin Soriano.

In men’s doubles, Fajardo and Miranda will compete against Brazil’s Cano and Soares. Pedro Pablo de Vinatea will face Cuba’s Rolando Bello, while Alberto Cadenillas will compete against Brazil’s Cavalli. Finally, in mixed doubles, Cueto and Ventocilla will face off against Canadians Lapointe and Meier.

Starting at 15:00, the men’s, women’s and mixed semifinals will be contested. The competitions will come to an end on Sunday, September 1. If you would like to enjoy more competitions and cheer on the Para athletes, you can purchase your tickets on the official website (www.lima2019.pe) and at authorized points of sale.