A weekend full of sports. The Peruvian women’s football team will look to beat Panama, with the support of fans, this Saturday on the last date of group B’s first stage at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games. 

Although team Peru, coached by Brazilian Doriva Bueno, has obtained acceptable outcomes against Argentina and Costa Rica, results were not what he expected. However, a chance at payback will come on Saturday night at 20:30, when the women’s team will have an opportunity to change their situation at the Stadium of the National University of San Marcos. 

Starting at 17:30, the group’s leading teams (Argentina and Costa Rica), both qualified with two wins and six points, will compete to decide the pool winner. 

In Group A, Colombia (first with 4 points) and Mexico (third with 3 points) will compete at 10:00. On the other hand, Paraguay (second with four points) and Jamaica (last without points or goals) will conclude this decisive day at 13:00. 

A GROWING MEDAL COUNT 

On the twelfth day of competition, new gold medals will be disputed.  This is the case of track cycling. Starting at 18:57, medals for men's sprint and points race will be defined at the velodrome of the National Sports Village (VIDENA) in San Luis. 

Medals will also be defined in men’s synchronized springboard diving and women’s 10m platform finals to be held at the VIDENA Aquatic Center starting at 19:00. 

Villa El Salvador Sports Center will also host the individual and group rhythmic gymnastics finals starting at 14:05. In Tennis, matches for the bronze medal in mixed and women’s doubles will be held starting at 14:00 at Club Lawn Tennis, Jesús María. And the same for men's doubles. 

And, starting at 17:00, the women's and men's doubles finals will be played. Meanwhile, air rifle mixed team, women’s pistol, and men’s skeet shooting finals have been scheduled at the Las Palmas Air Base Shooting Range in Santiago de Surco. These competitions will start at 11:00. 

FINAL STRETCH 

In men's hockey, Peru and Canada will face off starting at 16:00 at Villa María del Triunfo Sports Center. Prior to this game, we will have Argentina vs. Cuba (14:00), Mexico vs. United States (12:00), and Chile vs. Trinidad and Tobago (10:00). 

Also, men’s indoor volleyball semifinals will be disputed at 18:30 at the Callao Sports Center. While at the Surf High-Performance Center (CAR) in Punta Rocas, waves are expected to mean great and prolonged men's and women's surf competitions. 

Fascinating racquetball singles matches will be held on the courts of the Callao Regional Sports Village starting at 10:00. Meanwhile, equestrian team and individual eventing will take place, starting at 11:00, at the Army Equestrian School in La Molina. 

Basketball, a sport that has gathered many spectators at Eduardo Dibós Coliseum in San Borja, will have its men's semifinals at 18:00. 

Baseball will have a very intense day at the Villa Maria del Triunfo Sports Center from 10:00. Canoe slalom will have men’s and women’s events in Río Cañete Lunahuana, also starting at 10:00. 

An unusually sunny afternoon in Lima came along with the best tennis in the Americas at the Pan American Games. As in its best afternoons, the main stadium of Lawn Tennis de la Exposición club showed an incredible atmosphere, pretty much like that of the Davis Cup. Sadly, this was not enough for Juan Pablo Varillas to qualify fwor the men's singles semifinal.

Varillas as defeated by Chilean Matías Barrios on the central court, whose grandstands shook every time the Peruvian tennis player hit the ball. The spectators would not stop cheering on the Peruvian during the nearly three hours this match lasted, especially in the penultimate set, in which he recovered from seven match points.

“Juan Pablo (Varillas) played at an incredible level as he has been for a while. I think that he'll reach the top of his game at any moment. He had the bonus of a very entertaining environment for us both, which lifted him up in the tensest moments. The court also helped him to move fast,” said the Chilean tennis player.

Chilean Barrios will face Argentinian Guido Andreozzi, while Brazilian Joao Menezes will face another Argentinian, Facundo Bagnis. These matches will be held tomorrow morning.

In the evening, the Peruvian representatives for men’s doubles did not qualify for the medal-defining matches, as they were defeated by Argentinians Andreozzi and Bagnis. Sergio Galdós and Juan Pablo Varillas will still play for the bronze medal tomorrow at 15:30, facing off Bolivians BorisArias and Federico Zeballos.

In the last match, the Peruvian pair Anastasia Iamachkine and Galdós will face off the Bolivian pair Noelia and Federico Zeballos, to qualify for the final and thus fight for the gold medal.

Photo gallery (click here)

One of the most expected events of the Lima 2019 Pan American Games is the race walk competition. It will be held on August 4 and 11 in Miraflores district and will be free of charges for all spectators. For this reason, the organizing committee provided recommendations for attendees to maintain a respectful behavior towards athletes.  

The women’s 20 km race walk will be held on August 4 and will start at 08:00. On the other hand, the men’s 20 km race walk will start at 10:30. The women’s and men’s 50 km walk race will be held on August 11 and will start at 07:00.  

The route, to be followed by the athletes in both events, will start and finish at Av. José Larco (close to the Municipality of Miraflores), up to the intersection with Calle Tarata. Then, the return will be along the same streets up to Óvalo de Miraflores. The race circuit is 1 km; therefore, the athletes will have to walk 20 and 50 laps, as appropriate.  

Respect for the Athlete 

Jacqueline Lobrano, Lima 2019, Spectator Services head said that people have various pedestrian accesses to go and cheer for their favorite local and foreign athletes. She also encouraged to behave appropriately for the best development of the competition.  

"As spectators, we should know that throwing objects to the competition track, throwing water at the athletes (there are special hydration stations) and taking pets (they may run away, enter the track and cause athletes to be disqualified) are not allowed," she said.  

We should not obstruct the circuit but respect the announced road closure duly announced by the Lima 2019 Pan American Games Organizing Committee, the Peruvian National Police (PNP) and the Municipality of Miraflores.  

The race walk is a progression of steps so that the walker is always making contact with the ground. The advancing leg must be straightened (i.e., not bent at the knee) from the moment of first contact with the ground until the vertical upright position. 

Peruvian Team 

he Peruvian women’s team is comprised of Mary Luz Andía, the race walking world’s top ten, Kimberly García, Evelyn Inga and Yoci Caballero Meanwhile, the men’s team is made up of José Carlos Mamani and Luis Henry Campos. 

In April 2019, the Peruvian women’s team won the Pan American Race Walking Cup in Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, Mexico. 

The Peruvian team is confident about reaching the podium at Lima 2019. However, they will compete against 28 athletes from different countries (14 women and 14 men). Around five thousand people are expected to attend the event and root for their favorite athletes along the route.  

Detour Plan  

To ensure the optimal development of the race walk competition, the Lima 2019 Pan American Games Organizing Committee, the Municipality of Miraflores, and the Peruvian National Police (PNP) informed that the street closure plan would be carried out on August 4 and 11, from 00:00 to 15:00. 

Closed streets: 

• Av. José Larco, from Óvalo de Miraflores to Calle Tarata 

• Av. Diagonal, from Óvalo de Miraflores to Calle Schell 

• Calle Bellavista, from Calle Berlín to Av. José Pardo 

• Calle Mártir José Olaya, from Av. Diagonal to Av. José Pardo 

• Calle Schell, from Av. José Larco to Av. Diagonal 

• Av. José Pardo (Westbound), from Calle Bellavista to Óvalo de Miraflores  

Alternative routes: 

•  Westbound: Av. José Pardo- Av. Jorge Chávez – Calle José Gálvez – Av. Diagonal – Av. Benavides – Av. La Paz – Av. Ricardo Palma 

•  Eastbound: Av. Ricardo Palma – Av. Petit Thouars – Jr. Gonzales Prada – Calle Enrique Palacios – Av. Comandante Espinar – Av. José Pardo. 

•  Northbound: Av. José Pardo- Av. Benavides – Av. La Paz – Av. Ricardo Palma – Av. Petit Thouars – Jr. Gonzales Prada – Calle Enrique Palacios – Av. Comandante Espinar – Av. José Pardo. 

•  Southbound: Av. Arequipa – Calle Enrique Palacios – Calle Elías Aguirre – Av. Grau – Calle José Gonzales – Av. Diagonal

The largest sports event ever held in Peru keeps gathering Peruvian talents not only on the fields but also on stage. One of them is the Peruvian-American musician and producer Tony Succar, who will participate in the Lima 2019 cultural festival Culturaymi, which is held at the same time as the sports competitions.

Succar arrives in Peru amid a host of celebrations: the International Peruvian Cajón Festival Rafael Santa Cruz, and Culturaymi festival, where he will perform and give a master class.

“It’s a blessing to be here at this important time for Peru, when the international spotlight is on the country. I left my country at a very young age when I was 2, but I feel very Peruvian because of the music and culture I have always related to.”

The musician, who is settled in the United States, was amazed by the Lima 2019 Pan American Games held on July 26 at the National Stadium.

“The Games opening ceremony was impressive. The show was similar to a World Cup opening ceremony or a Cirque du Soleil production. All the details, people singing songs when entering the stage... Everything was very well planned and executed. It was spectacular, and I think that it sets a good example for young people in Peru.”

Regarding the importance of the Peruvian cajón in the ceremony, Succar said it strengthens the popularity of the instrument around the world. A big group of trained volunteers also participated in the show.

“That was a very big thing for me. The Peruvian cajón is today an international instrument. All musicians know what a cajón is. It has been all over Spain because it has been incorporated into flamenco, but everyone knows it comes from Peru. Even the percussionists of Jason Mraz, who is a very popular pop artists, play the cajón, and he is 100% American.”

Additionally, the Peruvian musician said he is a friend of Luis Fonsi, the opening ceremony headliner, through his brother Jean Rodríguez. Succar featured Rodríguez on Me enamoro más de ti  song, which was nominated for the Latin Grammy.

The Lima 2019 Pan American Games Opening Ceremony was a trending worldwide 

“We’re friends. Luis Fonsi’s brother has gone to my shows many times. That’s why when I see something that Luis Fonsi has done makes me very proud. The last time I saw him in person was in Puerto Rico, right before Despacito was released. Fonsi came to our concert and said that he was working on something new. He loves Peru and has a fan club here that has supported him a lot. Everyone loves Peru. I’m very proud of saying that I’m Peruvian.”

Besides, Succar provided details on his participation in  Culturaymi, with a playlist made up of mainly Peruvian songs, including part of his new disc, Más de mí, as well as songs from the Latin tribute project to Michael Jackson which made him famous.

“The show on Saturday will be spectacular here in the Nicomedes Santa Cruz amphitheater, which is an impressive stage. I was surprised when I saw it. It will be a varied show with 16 musicians on stage. It’s a wonderful team. And the rhythm section of the band will join me on Saturday and we’ll explain what we do when playing music. We’ll focus on the cajón and percussion, that is what I do, and part of the production I’ve always done in my whole career,” he added.

Peru claimed its position as host of the most important multi-sports event of the Americas with the victory of surfer Itzel Delgado, who won bronze in an exhausting final in Stand-Up Paddle.  

“It’s an honor. I’m very happy because now I’m giving the first steps for the rest of the team to win more medals. This one won’t be the first or the last one in surfing, so let’s go Peru,” said Delgado at the end of the event.  

With this achievement, a historic milestone for the Peruvian delegation has been marked, as this is the first medal obtained in this competitive sport at the Pan American Games.  

The successful participation of the Peruvian surfer was accompanied by the unconditional support of Peruvian fans, who cheered on Delgado during every second of his performance in the waters of the Punta Rocas beach. 

At the end of this competition, American surfer Connor Baxter won the gold medal, and Vinnicius Martins claimed the silver medal for Brazil.  

Alongside the audience cheers, the Peruvian athlete won the bronze medal that places Peru as one of the best teams in the Americas. It is important to mention that, with this result, the Peruvian delegation has now 13 medals in the most important multi-sports event of the Americas.

Photo gallery (click here)

The best fans in the world were the focus during the second match of the Peruvian football team at the stadium of the National University of San Marcos. More than 15,000 spectators encouraged the Peruvian football team during the second day of men’s football competition. Even tough Peru drew 2-2 with Honduras, the team has a chance to advance to the men's football semifinals. 

The team, coached by Nolberto Solano, was winning 2-0 but could not maintain this result. However, the chances of qualifying to the semifinals have not faded. Peru will face Jamaica on Sunday, July 4, at 20:30 and will seek its first victory and the qualification. The fans’ attendance will be crucial to cheer on the Peruvian team to achieve this goal. 

After the second day of the competition, Honduras ranked second with four points. However, the Peruvian team's advantage is knowing the Honduras’ result before the match on Sunday.  The Peruvian football team would have the possibility of qualifying to semifinals if it wins by a good goal difference and Honduras loses against Argentina. This will be hard but not impossible. 

The Pan American Games matches are governed by the FIFA rules. During the first stage, three points are awarded per victory and one point per tie. The top two teams of each group advance to the semifinals. Ties will be settled with 30 minutes extra-times and if scores are still tied, a penalty shootout will be played.

The Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur), Edgar Manuel Vásquez Vela, congratulated the success of Culturaymi, the cultural program of the Pan American and Parapan American Games. He also highlighted the hard work of the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee.  

“Activities like these allow athletes and all the Peruvian and foreign tourists who visit Peru for the Pan American and Parapan American Games to learn about culture, craft from all regions of Peru, and the richness of our production,” he stated.  

He also mentioned that families can enjoy a wide variety of cultural activities such as concerts, gastronomy, workshops, theater and exhibitions. In addition, he said that Culturaymi enriches tourism in Peru. He highlighted that entrance is free and invited everybody to enjoy a wonderful family day at Culturaymi and continue supporting Peruvian and international athletes. 

ABOUT CULTURAYMI 

Culturaymi is the cultural program organized alongside the Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games sports competitions. It offers a circuit and a cultural venue that will show the best of Peru’s richness.  

The venue is located at Parque de la Exposición and the entrance is free for everyone. The first stage of Culturaymi will be until August 10 and the second stage, during the Parapan American Games, will be held from August 24 to 31. It has two stages, an exhibition and workshop area, a food fair, a giant screen and a ticket booth for sports competitions, thus offering the visitor a comprehensive experience.