Today, Lima is the sport capital city of the Americas. It hosted the General Assembly of the Americas Paralympic Committee, a meeting gathering the heads of 33 national committees, also attended by the President of the International Paralympic Committee Andrew Parsons.

In this framework, the assembly praised the organization of the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games on the success in the preparation of venues that will hosting, starting tomorrow, the best Americas athletes’ competitions.

For this, the President of the Americas Paralympic Committee, Julie Dussliere gave a recognition award to Carlos Neuhaus, president of the Lima 2019 Games Organizing Committee, and to Alberto Valenzuela, General Manager of the Games. The same was awarded to Lucha Villar, head of the National Paralympic Association of Peru.

Before the ceremony, Neuhaus welcomed the heads of the National Paralympic Committees participating the Parapan American Games, wishing the same success seen in the Pan American Games, considered the best in history.

THE PARAPAN AMERICAN GAMES

In this Parapan American Games, 1890 athletes from 33 countries will be participating in 17 sports and 18 disciplines (1247 men and 643 women). The Peruvian delegation will participate with 139 Para athletes in 16 out of 17 sports.

Competitions will take place in 14 venues from August 22 to September 1, 2019. This is the first time that Peru will organize the most important multi-sports event of the Americas and the most significant sporting event in the world after the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Parapan American Games give quotas for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in 13 Para sports. The Parapan American Games are supported by the Americas Paralympic Committee (APC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

One of the most captivating sports competitions of Lima 2019 will begin on Saturday. The six best teams of football 5-a-side in the Americas will compete for the long-waited gold on the hockey field at the Villa Maria del Triunfo Sports Center. Football 5-a-side is an adaptation of football and is played on a court of 40 x 20 meters, and the ball is equipped with a noise-making device. The players will wear eyeshades, except for the goalkeeper, who is fully sighted.

The Peruvian national team, led by Felipe Ramírez, make their debut against Mexico at 20:00 in Villa María del Triunfo.  The opponent team has just placed third at the Copa América, which took place in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The competition day begins with the match between “Los Murciélagos” from Argentina and Costa Rica at 15:00, while Colombia faces Brazil, three-time Parapan American champion and five-time Olympic champion, at 17:30. There will be a round-robin format and the two best teams will compete for the gold medal on August 30.

If you want to see these great Para athletes in action, buy your tickets at the 11 authorized points of sale, located in different districts of the city. There will be a 50% discount for children under 18, senior citizens and people with an impairment.

Tickets can be also purchased online through lima2019.pe/tickets, where you will also find the detailed competition schedules. In the case of e-tickets, printing will no longer be necessary since customers can show their e-ticket from their mobile phones at the entrance of the sports venue.

ABOUT LIMA 2019

The Parapan American Games will gather 1890 Para athletes from 33 countries, participating in 17 sports and 18 disciplines. Competitions will take place from August 23 to September 1, 2019. Additionally, 13 Para sports will be qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Peru will be represented by 139 Para athletes, the largest number in this type of continental competitions. Peru will take part in 16 sports, including sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball as the ones with the largest number of competitors: 24 each (12 in women’s team and 12 in men’s team).

Minister María Esperanza Jara Risco, wearing the colorful uniform of the torchbearers, walked by Angamos Avenue, near the National Institute of Neoplastic Diseases (INEN), and carried the Parapan American torch as she did a few months ago with the Pan American in the Sacred City of Caral.

“It’s really a great satisfaction for the Ministry of Transport and Communications to have provided budget support and technical resources for the development of the Games, which will leave us sports infrastructure, medals, recognition of our athletes and, above all values. The values that we have and we must revive, even though sometimes we feel that they are a bit dormant, but we do have it.”

Regarding this stage of Lima 2019 and its significance, she pointed out that the Para athletes must be seen as an example for the country, and that their role in these Games will also attract our gaze on other invisible heroes who struggle every day.

“They are people who not only react or behave in a normal way, but also show us how to deal with adverse situations. They probably take medals, so this is really an opportunity to highlight those stories of daily heroism. In addition, the angels who also allow this to happen: we have passed in front of the National Institute of Neoplastic Diseases (INEN) with the volunteers, who are the ones who give us time of their lives and are completely committed to help people.”

She also mentioned that the Parapan American flame is shedding light, not only on valuable people who operate far from the reflectors, but on core values that should guide our behavior.

“Let the Parapan American Flame arrive, so it will inspire acts of heroism and generosity, and it also gives us an opportunity to be grateful; something that we often forget. There is so much here for which we have to feel optimistic and happy. We have to take a look at these examples, to go beyond them and work to put the interests of the country first.”

If you do not have tickets for the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games opening ceremony to be held on Friday, August 23 at the National Stadium, you should get them as soon as possible, before they sell out. Secure your chance to attend different sport and disciplines competitions that will blow your mind.

Competitions will be held between August 22 and September 1, where 1890 Para athletes from 33 countries will be competing in 17 sports and 18 disciplines.

Goalball will be held at the Miguel Grau Coliseum, a sport practiced by people with visual impairment or poor vision. In addition, the Callao Sports Center will be hosting Para taekwondo and sitting volleyball competitions.

The National Sports Village (VIDENA) will host Para athletics, Para swimming, wheelchair basketball, Para powerlifting, Para judo, Para badminton, Para table tennis and Para cycling track.

The Para cycling road competition will be held at the Costa Verde circuit in San Miguel. Las Palmas Shooting Range will witness the shooting Para sports events; and Lawn Tennis will host wheelchair tennis.

Villa María del Triunfo Sports Center will hold football 5-a-side and football 7-a-side and Villa El Salvador Sports Center will host wheelchair rugby and boccia.

TICKET SALES

Ticket prices start at PEN 10 for sport venues . There will be a 50 % discount for minors, senior citizens and people with an impairment.

Beware though, tickets can only be bought at Lima 2019-authorized points of sale located around the city. Find here the closest ticket office:

-Chorrillos: Hipermercado Metro – Chorrillos (Av. Prolongación Paseo de la República s/n Urb. Matellini - C.C. Plaza Lima Sur, Chorrillos). 

-Independencia: Hipermercado Metro – Independencia (Av. Alfredo Benavides 3900 Urb. Ind. Panamericana Norte, Independencia). 

-La Molina: Tienda Wong - Camacho (Av. Javier Prado Este 5055 Urb. Camacho - C.C. Plaza Camacho, La Molina). 

-Lima Hipermercado Metro – Emancipación Jr. Cusco 245, Lima. 

Miraflores Tienda Wong - Bajada Balta Malecón Balta 626 - Balta Shopping, Miraflores. 

-San Borja Tienda Wong - San Borja. Jirón Ucello 162, San Borja.

San Isidro Tienda Wong - Dos de Mayo. Av. Dos de Mayo 1099, San Isidro. 

-San Juan de Miraflores Tiendas Metro – Atocongo. Av. Los Heroes 100, San Juan de Miraflores.

-San Miguel Hipermercado Metro - La Marina. Av. La Marina esquina cdra. 25 Av. Parque De las Leyendas.

-Santiago de Surco Tienda Wong – Gardenias. Av. Alfredo Benavides 5250 Urb. Las Gardenias, Santiago de Surco.

-Santiago de Surco Jockey Plaza. Av. Javier Prado Oeste No. 4200. 

If you want to be part of the continent’s greatest multi-sports event but you do not have the time to go to a point of sale, buy your tickets at the website lima2019.pe/tickets, where you can find the sport calendar with a detailed schedule of every competition.

In case of digital tickets, known as e-tickets, printing will no longer be necessary since you can show them on your mobile phone at the entrance of the sports venue.

THE OPENING CEREMONY

There are still some tickets left if you want to be part of the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games opening ceremony at the National Stadium.  Ticket prices start at 20 soles. There will be also a 50 % discount for people with an impairment, senior citizens and minors.

In these Parapan American Games, Peru will be participating with the largest delegation in its history. There will be 139 Para athletes who will compete to reach the top of the podium in Lima 2019.

The Parapan American Games will be giving quotas for Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in 13 Para sports. They are supported by the Americas Paralympic Committee (APC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

If the hearts of thousands of people were pounding nonstop at the Pan American Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies, those in charge of the Parapan American Games Opening Ceremony assure that “more than one tear will be shed” at this Opening Ceremony.

“More than one tear will be shed on August 23. The Para athletes have made me more compassionate and changed my mindset. The final goal is to change people’s mindset with a show that treats everyone as equals,” asserted Hansel Cereza, creative director of this ceremony, when highlighting the inclusive nature of the show, that will take place at the National Stadium, starting at 19:00.

The president of the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee, Carlos Neuhaus, congratulated the work of the hundreds of artists and volunteers who participated in the ceremonies, with the objective of showing the rich and ancient history of Peru. “This is a great opportunity to showcase ourselves. Peruvian bands will perform, as well as those who already performed at the two previous Pan American ceremonies. It will be an extraordinary ceremony,” he stated.

The presence of Marco Antonio Morán, a young amateur Para athlete who will take part in the story of friendship and courage that will be recreated on the field of the National Stadium, was noteworthy. With a faltering voice, this 16-year-old, a promise in athletics in 100-meter sprint and long jump, showed his excitement for participating in this multi-sports celebration, alongside 49 other artists with an impairment.

On her part, the well-known Spanish mass choreographer, who has worked for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the 2015 and 2016 Champions League finals, said that all the members of the artistic crew give all of their time to “carry out an unforgettable project.”

Meanwhile, musical director José “Chick” Aguirre, creator of the score for Peruvian films Guerrero and Siete Semillas, said it will be a challenge for everything in the Parapan American Games Opening Ceremony to fit together. “It has been a very enriching experience at an artistic level. When you see it you will be surprised and moved,” he said.

In turn, Jorge Olazo, founder of the tropical fusion band Bareto, was happy that the band’s music was playing at the competition venues during the Pan American Games and now during the Parapan American Games Opening Ceremony.

It is important to note that the over 1800 Para athletes will have an important role in this opening performance. They will be seated in front of the stage as spectators and will be incorporated on to the stage as active protagonists of the ceremony.

Designer Pepe Corzo will add his amazing talent to the creation of the costumes for this act, with 500 outfits that have been made with great care and attention to detail, as well as 100% Peruvian materials.

Balich Worldwide Shows, one of the most well-known live show production companies, will be in charge of the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games Opening Ceremony, as they were with the very successful Pan American Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Tickets to attend the must-see Lima 2019 Parapan American Games Opening Ceremony on Friday, August 23, at 19:00, at the National Stadium, are on sale starting at PEN 20 at lima2019.pe/tickets and the 11 authorized points of sale. There is a 50% discount for those under the age of 18, senior citizens and people with an impairment.

Photo Gallery (click here)

The start of the Parapan American Games will have the best Para table tennis players of the Americas as the ones in charge of opening the sports calendar. Starting tomorrow, the Sports Center 3 of VIDENA will host the first discipline of Lima 2019, which includes ten impairment classes per gender.

The competition starts at 10:00 and it will be held in six tables simultaneously. It includes men’s and women’s class 7, as well as men’s class 4 matches. It is worth mentioning that the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee informed that the class 2 (physical impairment) will not be part of the event.

The current Parapan American champions are reason enough to witness the first matches of Lima 2019. This is the case of Brazilian Paulo Salmin (gold medalist in the class 7 singles and team events at Toronto 2015 and Guadalajara 2011), who will compete against Chilean Christian Dettoni (bronze medalist in 2015).

In addition, Brazilian Danielle Rauen (bronze medalist at the Paralympic Games in Rio 2016 and gold medalist at Toronto 2015 in the class 9 events), Mexican María Paredes (class 5 champion in the same Games), as well as Brazilian Joyce Oliveira (class 4 champion) will have tough battles for the gold medal.

On this first day, the Peruvian representatives will be the class 6 national champion, Guillermo Yáñez; as well as the class 3 Para athletes, Luis Traverso and Jesús Yampufé, natives from Chiclayo, who will compete starting at 10:40.

BUY YOUR TICKETS

Tickets for the matches, as well as for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, are already on sale and start at PEN 10. There will be a 50% discount for children under 18, senior citizens and people with an impairment. They can only be bought at the 11 authorized points of sale located throughout the city.

Tickets can only be purchased online at lima2019.pe/tickets, where you can also find the competition schedule. In the case of e-tickets, printing will no longer be necessary since customers can show their e-ticket from their mobile phones at the entrance of the sports venue.

HISTORIC DELEGATION AT LIMA 2019

Peru will be represented by 139 Para athletes, the largest number for this type of continental competitions. In addition, we will participate in 16 disciplines, with sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball being the ones with the largest number of competitors, with 24 each (12 for the women’s team and the same amount for the men’s team).

Another of the disciplines that will be preset are: boccia (4), football 5-a-side (10), football 7-a-side (14), goalball (12), judo (1), Para athletics (14), Para badminton (10), Para cycling (2), Para swimming (4), Para powerlifting (4), Para taekwondo (4), Para table tennis (4), wheelchair tennis (5) and shooting Para sport (3).

The Parapan American Torch, symbol that embodies the spirit of the Games, began its journey through the Peruvian capital city in the district of Santiago de Surco, conveying a message of fellowship and creating a festive atmosphere. This journey also served to share the Paralympic values with all the public.

In this context, the Lima 2019 Executive Secretary, Amalia Moreno, who also carried the torch, stressed the importance of this torch relay as it allows to pave the way for the construction of a more inclusive society, in which the sports performance of Para athletes across the continent is cherished again.

“All our compatriots should join us and support the organization of this huge Para sporting event that will feature the best Para athletes in the Americas,” expressed the official.

After carrying the torch, the head of the Peruvian Para taekwondo delegation, Delicia Paredes, added that “it’s exciting to take part in this celebration that is being hosted in Peru for the first time and where all Peruvians are ambassadors of the largest Para sporting event in the continent.”

In this first segment, the Parapan American Flame toured the districts of Santiago de Surco, Surquillo and San Borja. The residents of these districts joined the celebration singing “Arriba Perú” and “Cómo no te voy a querer” at the top of their voices, songs that helped us claim the title of the best fanbase in the world during the last FIFA World Cup.

This way, the Parapan American Flame started its journey across Lima, where all Peruvians reaffirmed their country has become the heart of the best of Para sports in the Americas.

The beating of drums with Peruvian chants resounded the Jockey Plaza shopping center. The Parapan American Torch has arrived and there was a symbolic route prepared to tour the Jockey Plaza, where it will remain until tomorrow, before starting its route.

The excitement of the Pan American Games remains. People who watched the celebration were thrilled with the rhythm of batucada that sought to encourage people for the symbolic route.

“I’m sure there will be more medals at the Parapan American Games. Para athletes are double heroes because they can overcome barriers that life put in them and even practice a sport,” said Carlos Neuhaus, president of the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee. 

“Parathletes are inspiring for us and we hope for children and young people too. Any effort can be made with perseverance; that’s what we want to transmit through this route,” said Juan José Calle, Jockey Plaza general manager.

This symbolic route was started by Security Manager and Iron Man, Enrique Lambruschini, who gave the post to Marco Ochante, operations supervisor, runner and trail runner.

“It’s fascinating to be part of this; I can’t describe it. These Games have a lot of value and merit because no impairment is an obstacle to get ahead and play sports,” Lambruschini said. “I never thought I’d carry the torch, but it is a great responsibility” Ochante stated.

The route finished with Jaime Cano, prevention agent, who reached the final point in a wheelchair. “Carrying the torch is a unique experience. The lesson it taught me is that effort gives results and that we must all support our Para athletes,” he stressed.

The Parapan American Torch starts its route this Wednesday from the Jockey Plaza at 09:20 along Av. Manuel Olguín to continue along Av. El Derby, Av. El Polo until the intersection with Av. Primavera and continue until the intersection with Av. San Luis in the district of Santiago de Surco.

The Parapan American Games Opening Ceremony will be held this Friday 23, at 19:00, at the National Stadium. “I invite you to buy your tickets to continue participating in our great Peruvian history and be part of an incredible closing. You also must go and see all the competitions because they will be incredible,” concluded Neuhaus.

The president of the highest governing body for the Paralympic movement worldwide, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), arrived a few days ago to Lima and participated in the Parapan American Torch Lighting Ceremony held at the Pachacámac Temple, officially opening the Games surrounded by a historical and sporting mysticism.

“We already feel the energy and eager to start competitions and see the athletes participate, but a ceremony like this, which is deemed to show the host country’s culture and history, is a delight, as it is part of the Games magic,” said the Brazilian sports authority.

The Parapan American Torch Relay will stir up the emotions of all Peruvians, who will witness the participation of the best Para athletes of the Americas; athletes who will shine under the Flame.

Parsons was also present at the Pan American Games Opening Ceremony, where he witnessed the elation generated by the great work and efforts made. He is confident that such will be the case for the last chapter of Lima 2019.

“We were surprised by the top-level events delivered by Lima. The Pan American Games were a success. I was at the Opening Ceremony and it was wonderful, so I’m confident that you have prepared something very special for the Parapan American Games Opening Ceremony.   It is very special to be finally here, after all the efforts invested by COPAL and Lima in these Games. We are here to enjoy the Games together.”

He also highlighted that IPC’s expectations for Lima 2019 include –apart from fantastic results inside the field, records broken and the unforgettable moments that Para athletes will experience– the qualification of many athletes to Tokyo 2020.

“This is something crucial to IPC and APC; that most athletes can consider these Games as a step in their path to qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.  Lima 2019 will include 13 qualifying sports, ensuring that all the countries of the Americas will bring their best athletes and a higher level of competition. This is also important for beginning athletes, as they will compete against the best,” he stated.  

Parsons was able to contrast the venues with his past visits and said that their current conditions are impressive.

“I still remember when the Village was in its earliest stage, but now it is fully completed with the corresponding services implemented. Being able to be with the athletes in the dining hall and ask them how they feel about the operations and seeing them very happy and dazzled by the quality of service offered is great... The venues are fantastic. We are all very happy,” he said.

He also highlighted that, thanks to the legacy left –specifically– by the Parapan American Games, many changes will occur and Peruvian Paralympic sports will take a great leap forward.

“Society, the government bodies and people with an impairment will get more involved in sports and Lima will be able to host more international events in the future, as the city already has top-level facilities. The venues are also located very close to or in the middle of low-income communities, which is crucial for the Games legacy. It is not necessary to practice a high-performance sport, but to make sports a part of your life, so you can get more involved in Peru’s society.”