Photo: El Comercio.

In the world tour of the Professional Squash Association (PSA) everybody knows each other. They compete against one another, many times during the year, and they would inevitably face off at the Pan American Games. The Lima 2019 semifinals will be more emotional, mostly because the Peruvian Diego Elias is looking for an unprecedented gold medal.

In fact, defeating the American Todd Harrity this morning has secured him at least the bronze medal, after reaching the semifinals. Tomorrow at 10:00, he will face off Mexican Cesar Salazar, taking the first step to the gold medal he was denied at Toronto 2015. This time, he will try to dedicate a victory to the crowd packing out the Volleyball CAR at VIDENA. His rivals regard him as the man to defeat.

“I know Diego (Elias) all too well. We've had very tough encounters on the field”. He's a player with a good present and a bigger future, with a remarkable technical and physical evolution that has allowed him to reach a good position in the world ranking. Today, defeating him is a big challenge and we will try to take advantage of the psychological aspect in this game,” said Cesar Salazar.

The other singles semifinal will be played by current Pan American champion, Colombian Miguel Angel Rodriguez, and the tournament surprise, Argentinian Luciano Pezzota. Aged 33, Rodriguez believes that Elias still has lots of potential to keep making his way up the world ranking.

“Diego (Elias) is a player with everlasting talent and he's only 22. He has the ability to be a reference player for the Americas when I retire. He has become a complete player who has improved his physical performance remarkably; he handles the ball well at the corners of the court; plus, he doesn't have to move so much because of his height. He still has a lot to offer,” added the Colombian player.

If you want to follow our fellow Peruvian, buy your tickets at lima2019.pe/tickets and at the authorized Teleticket sales stands at Metro and Wong in the following districts: Chorrillos, Independencia, La Molina, Lima, Miraflores, San Borja, San Isidro, San Juan de Miraflores, San Miguel and Surco.  It is worth mentioning that a new point of sale has recently opened at Jockey Plaza shopping center in Surco.

SQUASH AT LIMA 2019

Squash at the Pan American Games comprises men's and women's categories and singles, doubles and team events. There will also be a mixed doubles event. There will 36 male athletes from 12 countries and 24 women from 8 countries.

Besides Elias, Peru is represented by Alonso Escudero and Andres Duany in men; while Pia Hermosa, Ximena Rodriguez and Alejandra Zavala will be the female athletes in the national delegation. The draw for the seven events will take place on July 23 at 14:00.

Peru secured its first two medals at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games. The eventual color will be decided tomorrow. That is because Diego Elías, in the world's “Top 10” for squash, reached the semifinals of the individual squash tournament by beating American Todd Harrity 3-0 in the quarter-final match at CAR VIDENA.

The victory, with game scores 12-10, 11-5 and 11-5 (in 30 minutes) allowed him to qualify to the semifinals of the competition taking place tomorrow. There, he will face Mexican César Salazar who, in turn, defeated Maximiliano Camiruaga (CHI) 3-0.

Squash is one of the sports that awards a gold medal, a silver medal and two bronze medals in each event type.

Past 10 o'clock in the morning, and in front of a cheering fanbase, Peru secured its second medal when the pair made up of Diego Elias and Alonso Escudero defeated the Colombian pair, Juan Vargas Heredia and Andres Herrera, 2-0 (11-2 and 11-10).

The Peruvian team will face the winner of the match between the United States and Bermuda in the semifinals.

The Pan American Games, whose Opening Ceremony will take place tonight at the National Stadium, began last Wednesday with beach volleyball and handball events.

Adrenaline rush. At the Morro Solar, 34 athletes (20 men and 14 women) will ride in hills, on climbs and descents, and overcome extreme obstacles in the mountain cycling competition, Cross Country discipline. It will take place on Sunday, July 28, at 9:00, when the women's competition begins.

Two and a half hours later, at 11:30, the men's event will begin in this circuit, which takes athletes to test their limits through an exhausting climb, demanding a great deal of effort. The competition lasts between 1 hour 20 minutes and 1 hour 40 minutes for both men's and women's events.

Mountain cycling,  known worldwide as mountain bike (MTB), is a discipline in which women and men compete separately on a natural trail, mainly mountainous, with technical sections of climbs, descents and plains. Athletes ride their bikes over various obstacles such as rocks, trunks, narrow areas (single track), at full speed. It is a highly impressive demonstration of strength and precision.

Street Closure Plan

To ensure that athletes can compete without any setbacks, the Organizing Committee and the Peruvian National Police – PNP, informed that the street closure plan for this competition will begin on Saturday, July 27, from 23:00 and end on Sunday, July 28 at 15:30, after the medal ceremonies for both disciplines.

During this period, Avenida Cipriano Rivas will be closed to traffic and only pedestrian entry will be allowed for spectators who will cheer on competitors, through the tunnel leading to La Herradura Beach. Northbound, Circuito de Playas will be closed from this beach up to the location of Salto del Fraile restaurant.

Recommendations

The Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games Organizing Committee has some recommendations for the spectators who will be supporting the athletes during this competition:

• Do not throw objects to the competition track.
• Do not throw water at the athletes.
• Do not interfere with the marathon circuit.
• Do not bring pets because they can run away and can interrupt the competition.
• Respect the road closure to be in force during the competition.

About Lima 2019

The Lima 2019 Pan American Games will start on July 26, 2019 with a ceremony that will be held at the National Stadium and will gather more than 6680 athletes from 41 countries from all over the Americas.

There will be 17 days of competitions and ceremonies between July 26 and August 11, which will take place in 14 districts of Lima and Callao at various venues like VIDENA, Villa Maria Sports Center, Callao Regional Village, Villa El Salvador Sports Center, Punta Rocas, among others.

The Lima 2019 Pan American Games will include 39 sports and 61 disciplines, in which athletes will compete for gold, silver and bronze medals. And to make it more interesting, a total of 21 disciplines are qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

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.The most qualified athletes from 13 sports will get places at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

With seven consecutive national championships and the confidence that those championships have given him, Kevin Martínez—Peruvian representative of the paleta fronton discipline—assured that he is going for the gold medal at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games.

“My grandfather and uncles played paleta fronton competitively. It was a family weekend plan to go and watch them play, compete in finals and win them. (...) I also got onto the court to play between matches,” he said, talking about his beginnings in this 100% Peruvian sports discipline.

He added that, when he was nine, they enrolled him in his first national tournament. “They (My family) thought they were going to intimidate my opponent, but they intimidated me instead and I lost the match,” he said as an anecdote.

He added that the real lesson of the anecdote was that, if he wanted to be as good as or better than his grandfather and uncles, he had to be tenacious and passionate about what he wanted. Now he is 27 and he has not stopped playing fronton any year.

“At the age of 16, I knew I'd do this for a living and become an ambassador for Paleta fronton. No matter what your sport, business, career or dream is, you can't stop until you've made it,” he emphasized.

NO OVERCONFIDENCE

Even though Kevin Martínez earned his place at Lima 2019 in the November 2018 qualifiers without losing any set, he is not over-confident and respects his next opponents.

“Argentina, Mexico, Cuba and United States are the five countries that qualified out of more than 10 countries. I won after playing against great opponents. They are the best Basque pelota players, and paleta fronton is one of its categories. They will fight to get the medals,” he said.

He confided that there is extra pressure for him to win the gold medal because paleta fronton is a Peruvian sport, but he believes he has a very good chance to get the gold.

“You can dream, but if you don’t train to win, it'll be hard to achieve it. I want to take paleta fronton around the world and I'm trying to find a way to promote it,” he said while asking fans to root for him from the stands to reach Pan American glory.

He invited the public to buy their tickets on the Pan American and Parapan American Games website: lima2019.pe/tickets or on the Teleticket website.

Tickets for Lima 2019 competitions can be purchased at the 11 points of sale set up at Jockey Plaza shopping center in Santiago de Surco and Metro and Wong supermarkets in Chorrillos, Independencia, La Molina, Lima, Miraflores, San Borja, San Isidro, San Juan de Miraflores, San Miguel and Surco.

The Pan American Games’ fever is already taking over Peru. More than 300 fans from the Peruvian Football Team’s official supporting club “La Blanquirroja” gathered at the Pan American Village, located in Villa El Salvador, last Thursday evening to cheer on the Peruvian delegation, which has been at the Village since Sunday.

The fans, carrying flags, flares and bass drums, ceaselessly sang the song released at the Russia 2018 World Cup which now symbolizes the fans’ passion, “Cómo no te voy a querer si eres mi Perú querido, mi país bendito que me vio nacer.” (“How couldn't I love you, if you are my lovely Peru, my blessed country where I was born.”)

Peruvian fans are expected to keep supporting their athletes in all sports competitions to take place at the Pan American and Parapan American Games.

Photo Gallery (click here)

With only 22 years old, Diego Elías has set a clear goal for himself in his sporting career. Placing eighth in the PSA (Professional Squash Association) ranking is not enough. Diego’s dream is to be the first Latin American to be the world champion, and if he keeps performing at his best, Diego has the chance to make it.

The Lima 2019 Pan American Games is the first step to success that Elías has set for this year. His first victory against Guatemalan Edwin Enríquez at the VIDENA volleyball high-performance center (CAR) shows that he will not be satisfied with the silver medal, as happened at Toronto 2015.

“It’s exciting to play with all the Peruvian fans cheering you on. It’s a special feeling because I don’t usually play in Peru. In fact, my last event was the 2013 Bolivarian Games in Trujillo, and I feel deeply committed when I think about it. However, I need to focus on each match not to be under so much pressure,” Elías stated.

It only took Elías 20 minutes to beat his opponent 3-0. He meets tomorrow United States’ Todd Harrity, a rival he has already faced and inspires him respect in the 62-square-meter court.

“I’ve been preparing physically for this tournament and you can see it on the field. I’ll try to take the lead. That’s why I took all championships very seriously to keep gaining experience because rivals also prepare hard to get to the top of this sport,” Elías added.

This is the competition calendar for the upcoming days:

To cheer our team on, buy your tickets at lima2019.pe/tickets and in the authorized Teleticket points of sale at the Metro and Wong supermarkets in the districts of Chorrillos, Independencia, La Molina, Lima, Miraflores, San Borja, San Isidro, San Juan de Miraflores, San Miguel, and Surco.  It is worth mentioning that a new point of sale has just opened at the Jockey Plaza shopping center in Surco.

SQUASH AT LIMA 2019

Squash at the Pan American Games includes the men’s and women’s categories in individual, doubles and team events, as well as mixed doubles. Thirty-six male and 24 female athletes from 12 and 8 countries, respectively, will compete.

Besides Elías, Alonso Escudero and Andrés Duany will represent Peru in the men’s competitions. Pía Hermosa, Ximena Rodríguez and Alejandra Zavala will join the Peruvian women’s team. The bracket draw for the seven events will take place on July 23 at 2:00.

Photo gallery (click here)

Over 2000 journalists across the world that cover the multi-sports competitions of the Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games have found an excellent source of information in the Organizing Committee’s publications.

In its first edition, the Lima 2019 newsletter pointed out the victory of the Peruvian women’s beach volleyball team against El Salvador and the support of the Peruvian fans, as well as the stamina of the host handball team.

A complete and colorful photo gallery of the first day of competitions decorates the pages of this publication that includes press releases on the opening of the Casa Perú, led by the Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Enrique Vásquez, and the COPAL President, Carlos Neuhaus.

The best Games memories are also included at the end of the first Lima 2019 press release, which will keep the press up informed about the events of the Pan American and Parapan American Games calendar.

OPENING CEREMONY

Also, the Lima 2019 supplement already hinted at the excitement of the Peruvian capital city a few hours before the Opening Ceremony of this multi-sport event that will bring all the Americas together.

The national and international press found interesting articles on the start of the sport activities on July 24, with beach volleyball and handball.

They also found useful information about to get tickets for the ceremonies and competitions, as well as the Culturaymi, the Games cultural program, and the Torch Relay.

It is worth mentioning that the Pan American torch will visit 26 cities in the Coast, Highlands and Jungle in 23 days. Tomorrow it will arrive at the National Stadium to mark the official start of Lima 2019, after being carried by 900 torchbearers and visited historical, cultural and natural sites.

The Lima 2019 special supplement provided details about the Games Opening Ceremony, which will feature 1700 national artists at the National Stadium, led by Lucho Quequezana and Vania Masías.

Besides, the ceremony will have stars such as Juan Diego Flórez and Puerto Rico’s Luis Fonsi. Around 50,000 spectators will watch the show and the parade of the 6700 athletes from 41 delegations.

The journalists avidly read the Road Plan implemented for the transfer of the accredited people, including athletes, judges, referees, volunteers, etc. They also found information about the arrival of the world medalists and a detailed schedule of the Pan American disciplines.

This way, they were satisfied as they got all the necessary information to cover the Pan American and Parapan American Games. #LetsAllPlay at Lima 2019.

Outstanding Peruvian and international artists, and the prestigious Italian show producer Balich Worldwide Shows, are in charge of the Lima 2019 Games ceremonies.

Just one day before the Lima 2019 Pan American Games Opening Ceremony, the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee introduced the creative team and the artists that will take part in the opening of the most important sports event in the Americas, to take place at the National Stadium on Friday, July 26, 2019.

The best-kept secret of Lima 2019 was revealed in a press conference. The “dream team”, tasked with showing the best of Peru to the world in the four ceremonies, was introduced at a press conference. The events promise to be exciting and captivating from beginning to end.

These important ceremonies will be produced by Italian company Balich Worldwide Shows, an international leader in the live entertainment industry. Some of its team members oversaw the Torino 2006, Sochi 2014, and Rio 2016 Olympic ceremonies.

Among the attendees were Juan Antonio Silva, Lima 2019 Communications, Commercial and Marketing manager; Simone Merico, Balich Worldwide Shows Business manager; Marina Charún, Head of the Lima 2019 Ceremonies Functional Area; and Lucía Navarro, responsible for the Lima 2019 Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Outstanding Peruvians and international artists, members of the creative team taking part in the Opening Ceremony were also in attendance: Lucho Quequezana, musical director; Francisco Negrín, creative director; Vania Masías, choreography director; and Pepe Corzo, costume and props designer.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank all the creative team. Your commitment was more than a contractual duty. These two teams have come together with the purpose of crafting the most important cultural event in the history of Peru; and this is no overstatement. It will be a tour throughout the country, where the natural and cultural wealth of Peru will be celebrated. We want to take this huge opportunity, because it is estimated that 400 million people around the world will set their eyes on Peru”, Silva stated.

Meanwhile, the BWS Business Director talked about how the joint efforts of two teams from different cultures were able to pull off a world-class show that reflects Peru.

“This journey ending tomorrow has been very special for us. The main reason—maybe due to the cultural similarities—is that we find great team members in the ceremony Organizing Committee. When we found the correct chemistry, alchemy and empathy, everything was so much easier. The team was very passionate, professional, and close to us. We combined perfectly a top-level international team, experienced in this type of events, with a group of outstanding talented Peruvian artists,” he emphasized.

Negrín also pointed out that the purpose of this great show is for Peruvians to feel proud of what they are, and remember the characteristics of their culture that define them.

“I started this project though I'm not Peruvian, and it is clearly a huge responsibility to showcase Peru, not only to the world but also to Peruvians. This process began when I met Pepe Corzo, who introduced me to Peruvian culture and to the most creative Peruvians, who I had to work with to craft this ceremony. Through their eyes I could see the cultural , natural, ethnic and gastronomic wealth that I already knew existed in this country, and it was like a tsunami for me. I understood what was important for them to tell, and for Peruvians to see.”

The Lima 2019 Pan American Games Opening ceremony will be held this Friday, July 26, at the National Stadium. Around 50,000 people are expected to be present in the grandstands and boxes Delegations of the 41 countries will parade, and over 6700 athletes will be received with applause from the crowd.

The show will feature 1700 artists on stage, including dancers, acrobats, and live musicians, who will bring the most amazing Peruvian landscapes to the stadium and will light up the Peruvian sky with the history of the Pan American Games.

PERUVIAN TALENT FOR THE WORLD

Outstanding Peruvian artists will be part of the big multidisciplinary creative team that will turn the Opening Ceremony into a 100% Peruvian event. Choreography director Vania Masías has spent several months training and holding auditions for volunteer dancers. Musician and songwriter Lucho Quequezana, responsible for the musical direction, is meticulously preparing every sound and musical note.

Pepe Corzo will show off his talent in designing unique costumes and props portraying Peruvian culture. Furthermore, Pauchi Sasaki is planning a surprise for us that will shake the National Stadium, and Elliot Túpac will show his colorful art during the whole ceremony. Jimmy López, Juan Carlos Fisher and Olinda Silvano are also among the main professionals who will be taking part.

Singers Guillermo Bussinger, Sandra Muente, Shantall Young, and Pelo D’Ambrosio will join their voices together to delight the audience. The performance of Peru's most famous tenor of all times, Juan Diego Flórez, will be one of the highlights of the event.

Photo gallery (click here)

Most of them play in an amateur league, where love for the sport is stronger than receiving a salary for it. However, the professionalism of Argentina's softball team is not in question. Their recent world title in the Czech Republic helped them get the recognition of a system where soccer is the most popular sport. Now, they have the support of the States.

Argentina arrived at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games to claim the gold, by competing against nations with more softball tradition. For years, they have been on the podium of several continental competitions, but they hope to achieve a milestone for Argentine sport at the Villa María del Triunfo Sports Center.

Most of the Argentinian team members that arrived at Lima are from the Entre Ríos province, north of Buenos Aires. Many of them train for hours, in order to keep succeeding, but off the court they have a job like everyone else. Some of them, like Federico Eder, promote this sport at schools. Of course, ad honorem.

“It’s a disadvantage not to be an Olympic sport, but we haven’t given up on our goal and people still practice softball. This is the result of many years of work. Many of us play this sport since the age of 4 and come from the city of Paraná, in the province of Entre Ríos. That’s the capital of softball in Argentina. Softball is way more important there than soccer, and those who are not from the city live there too,” said Eder.

Meanwhile, Argentinian star Huemul Mata, the only player featured in a professional league, stressed the team’s perseverance. “As an amateur team, we’ve been through so many things, but we enjoy it despite all the struggles. Some of my colleagues have made sacrifices even greater than mine. Sometimes you travel only for the experience, but after the recognition we had for winning the World Cup, I feel satisfied with everything sport has given me,” said Mata.

SOFTBALL AT LIMA 2019

The Peruvian softball team will participate for the first time in the Pan American Games. After training in several Caribbean nations, Peru was able to place 6th in the Pan American ranking. Peru will make its debut against Cuba in the afternoon (16:00). Show them your support and buy your tickets at lima2019.pe/tickets.

Six teams will play in a round-robin preliminary round to move to the next stage. The sport is governed by the World Baseball and Softball Confederation (WBSC) regulations. The game consists of seven innings, where each team alternates batting and fielding. Finally, the team that scores the most runs wins.

Here's the rest of the men's softball calendar:

You can buy your tickets for these matches on the Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games website: www.lima2019.pewww.lima2019.pe

You can also buy your tickets at any authorized point of sale at the Metro and Wong hypermarkets and stores in the districts of Chorrillos, Independencia, La Molina, Lima, Miraflores, San Borja, San Isidro, San Juan de Miraflores, San Miguel, and Surco.  It is worth mentioning that a new point of sale has just opened at the Jockey Plaza shopping center in Santiago de Surco.

Photo gallery (click here)

Thousands of people will attend the Opening Ceremony of the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, which will be held this Friday, July 26, from 18:00 at the National Stadium. They will be able to see more than 1700 artists on stage and remarkable singers, such as Luis Fonsi, Juan Diego Flórez, Sandra Muente, Shantall Young, Guillermo Bussinger and Pelo D’Ambrosio. The ceremony will also include dancers, acrobats, and live musicians, who will bring the most amazing Peruvian landscapes to the stadium.

The assistants will live, for the first time, a unique experience during the ceremony. Therefore, we ask you to consider the following recommendations:

How to get to the National Stadium

• The main entrance will be by the North zone of the stadium. To access there, you must go through Av. Bauzate y Meza and Av. José Diaz.
• To access from the Estación Central (Central Station), you must go along the edge of the Parque de la Exposición through Av. Paseo de la República.
• To go to the Opening Ceremony, it is necessary to use public transportation, as there will be no access for vehicles.
• Keep in mind that Av. Petit Thouars and the roads that cross the National Stadium will be closed.

Additionally, please note that the streets adjacent to the National Stadium will be closed from 00:00 on Friday, July 26, to 04:00 on Saturday, July 27, in the following schedules:

From 00:00 on Friday, July 16, to 04:00 on Saturday, July 27:

• From Ca. Parque de la Reserva, including Jr. Enrique Barrón and Jr. Emilio Fernández Barrón, all the way to Av. Petit Thouars.
• Ca. Benjamín Roca García, from Av. Petit Thouars to Av. Arequipa.
• From Ca. José Díaz, including Jr. Madre de Dios, all the way to Av. Arequipa.

From 12:00 on Friday, July 16, to 04:00 on Saturday, July 27:

• Av. Arequipa, from Av. Pardo de Zela to Av. 28 de Julio.
• Av. La Peruanidad, from Av. Horacio Urteaga to Av. 28 de Julio.
• Av. Pardo de Zela, from East to West, from Av. Ignacio Merino to Av. Petit Thouars.
• Jr. Manuel Candamo, Jr. Bartolomé Herrera, Jr. Emilio Althaus and Jr. Manuel Segura, from Av. Ignacio Merino to Av. Petit Thouars.
• Jr. Manuel del Pino, Jr. Teodoro Cárdenas, Ca. Enrique Villar, Jr. Mariano Carranza and Av. Alejandro Tirado (both ways), from Jr. Montero Rosas to Av. Petit Thouars.

Around 50,000 people in the grandstands and boxes are expected to attend this event. Delegations of the 41 countries will parade, and over 6.700 athletes will be received with applause from the crowd.

We urge people that will attend the Opening Ceremony, as well as anyone that will transport from the sports venues, to use public transportation and consider the following recommendations:

Before leaving your home:

• Make sure you have your DNI, as you must carry it during the whole Opening Ceremony, whether you are a minor or an adult.
• Do not carry bottles, glass containers, unprocessed food or alcoholic beverages, as well as banners, large flags (over approx. 1m x 2m), bikes, weapons, aerosols, flares, fireworks, pets, among others, as it is prohibited to enter with these objects (please visit www.lima2019.pe for further information).
• Make sure you have your ticket before leaving your home and look after it until the event is over.
• Go to the competition venues ahead of time to avoid crowds at the entrances.

 To enter:

• Everyone, even kids under 0 years old, must have an entry ticket.
• Minors under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. 
• If you are going accompanied by a person with an impairment, or who has some difficulty getting around, locate the special entrance zones or, ask for help from the Lima 2019 volunteers, who will be duly identified in all the competition venues.
• Keep in mind that the National Stadium will open at 15:00 and, once the ceremony starts, the entrance will be restricted. 

During competitions:

• Do not throw objects to the competition track.
• Do not throw water to athletes in competitions such as marathon, triathlon, race walk, among others.
• Do not interfere with the circuit, in the case of road sports.
• When judges ask for silence, keep quiet. Remember that some disciplines, such as tennis or rhythmic gymnastics, need extreme concentration for its execution.