Lima has become the world capital of sports as it hosts the 2019 Pan American Games. This was the reason why 57th Panam Sports General Assembly, which gathers the main sports authorities from the Americas, was held in this city.

The honor guest at this meeting was International Olympic Committee President, Thomas Bach, who arrived especially for the Assembly and the Opening Ceremony of the Pan American Games, to be held tomorrow at the National Stadium.

Also in attendance were Panam Sports President Neven Ilic, Mayor of Lima Jorge Muñoz, and Lima 2019 Organizing Committee President Carlos Neuhaus. They were joined by Iván Dibós, Peruvian IOC member, and Pedro del Rosario, from the Peruvian Olympic Committee.

Thomas Bach highlighted the fact that the meeting was being held in Peru, as he has good memories of the 2017 IOC Assembly, also held in this country. “I am so excited about being here in Lima once again thanks to Panam Sports. The Americas are now at the heart of the sports world after hosting the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games, the 2017 IOC Assembly and the 2016 Olympic Games. All of them have gone down in history. I’m sure that the Pan American Games will become a milestone in the Americas,” he stated.

“We have to look at the future of the Olympic movement and reflect upon its changes. I’d ask Peruvians to feel proud of these Games, because they’ll be a true celebration that will bring their country together in a way that only sports can manage. Let’s all play in Lima 2019. We haven’t forgotten that Lima witnessed the historic double election of Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 to host the Olympic Games, and we’re thankful for that. Peru has a rich history in sports. These Games will be a starting point for reinforcing sports in the country and develop new Olympic athletes. We thank the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee, the mayor of Lima and the Olympic family in Peru,” he added.

To end his speech, Thomas Bach declared the Assembly opened. “I wish all Olympic Committees success with the athletes from the Americas at Tokyo 2020. It is an honor for me to declare the Assembly opened,” he concluded.

PANAM SPORTS

Meanwhile, Panam Sports President Neven Ilic confessed feeling excited about living the Pan American Games in Lima. “The truth is, I’m excited to see that day come. I must thank my friend, Carlos Neuhaus, and thank Thomas Bach for coming to Lima after his stay in Japan. At the beginning, two years ago, we were worried about the Games, but we put all our trust on the team led by Carlos Neuhaus. They’ve done amazing work on the road to this celebration. It was a job well done. The athletes are happy at the Village and the venues are world-class. We hope these Games turn out to be the best in history,” said Ilic.

“The road that Lima 2019 shows us is one of constant growth. We’re all part of these Games. We’re a family and that is a big task. The starting point in Lima is fantastic. I want to congratulate Peru for all the work done to host amazing Games,” concluded the Panam Sports president.

MAYOR OF LIMA

In turn, the Mayor of Lima, Jorge Muñoz, welcomed the visitors to the Pan American Games and the Panam Sports Assembly. “Let me welcome you to Lima. May you enjoy the Games and treasure the memories of your visit. I do hope you can come back soon. Enjoy our city and our gastronomy. I do hope Lima makes you feel at home. May you become part of the success of these Games. ‘Let’s all play’ our part in this. We want you to return to your countries as ambassadors of the Perú Brand and the Lima Brand too. I wish you all the best of success,” stated Muñoz.

The Assembly featured presentations by the Lima 2019 Coordination, Technical and Medical Committees in relation to their work during the organization of the Pan American Games in Peru.

 ABOUT LIMA 2019

The Opening Ceremony of the Lima 2019 Pan American Games will be held at the National Stadium this Friday, July 26. This continental event will gather 6680 athletes from 41 countries and delegations from the Americas.

There will be 17 days of competitions and ceremonies between July 26 and August 11, 2019, which will take place in 14 districts of Lima and Callao. Some venues are the VIDENA, Villa María Sports Center, Callao Regional Village, Villa El Salvador Sports Center, Punta Rocas Surfing Sports Center, 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. A total of 21 disciplines are qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Photo gallery (click here)

Official Lima 2019 spokesperson, Carlos Manuel Lazarte, reported this morning that the Pan American Torch has already completed its journey through Peru’s main cities. He added that it will soon arrive in Lima to light the cauldron at the National Stadium as part of the Opening Ceremony of the Lima 2019 Pan American Games. 

During a press conference, he highlighted that over 900 Peruvians have been Pan American torchbearers over the 23 days the journey has lasted after starting in Mexico. 

Regarding the Opening Ceremony, Lazarte reiterated that it will be a spectacular event that will showcase Peruvian culture in relation to sports, and that it will be broadcast worldwide. 

He informed that more than 2000 journalists have been accredited to cover the Pan American Games, which will officially start on Friday July 26 after an impressive ceremony at the National Stadium. 

Lazarte explained that the Pan American Games organizing committee is very happy and satisfied about the response of athletes and participants, mainly the 12,124 volunteers who are making a huge effort and carrying out work in an all-new context, as this will undoubtedly boost volunteer culture in Peru. 

At the same time, he mentioned that the mobile app for press transportation is already up and running. The app can be downloaded from IOS and Android devices and it will bus transportation schedules from the Lima Convention Center, located in San Borja, to the various competition locations. 

The Peruvian Exports and Tourism Promotion Board (PROMPERÚ) opened up Lima 2019 Casa Perú today at the Lima Convention Center in San Borja. Its aim is to showcase the best of our country to the international press and the thousands of athletes from the 41 delegations participating in the Pan American and Parapan American Games. 

Casa Perú is a marketing strategy that allows visitors to experience all of Peru in a single place. This is a great opportunity to show the best of Peruvian culture and our main exports to journalists, athletes and delegations visiting during Lima 2019.   

The Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Edgard Vásquez, symbolically handed the key to the President of the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee, Carlos Neuhaus, who said he felt delighted to have such a strategy within the facilities of the Lima 2019 Main Press Center. 

“It is a pleasure to have Casa Perú in this venue, where the press will gather to broadcast the news about the Pan American and Parapan American Games. There is no better place. Forty-one cultures from the Americas will come together here. Thank you for this beautiful space,” he stressed.

On his part, the head of MINCETUR revealed that it is the first time a format like Casa Perú has been opened in Peru. “This is very important for us, as it is the first time we have had this format here at home, in Peru. The first three have been abroad: in South Korea, the United States and Russia,” he explained. 

Lima 2019 Casa Perú can be found in two locations: one at the Lima Convention Center, and the other at the Pan American Village in Villa El Salvador. These are the two locations which will gather the most athletes and international press members. 

“Lima 2019 will be a great platform to show the world the diversity of Peru as a country, and there are cultural, gastronomic and tourist destinations that cannot be missed,” pointed out Luis Torres, PROMPERU Chief Executive. 

Qhapaq Ñan

The concept of Casa Perú, inspired by the Qhapaq Ñan, invites us to travel throughout Peru with the help of a “chasqui” along four different paths: those of nature (biodiversity and Amazonian culture), adventure (tourism activities through virtual reality), food (tasting of our superfoods, pisco and renowned gastronomy), and art and creativity (crafts and paintings inspired by our millenary history). 

In addition, an exhibition of the replica of Lord of Sipán has been set up, in which the main treasures and the tomb of Huaca Rajada (Lambayeque) can be seen. It is being exhibited on the second floor of the Lima Convention Center. A photographic exhibition of the first travel guide to Peru has also been set up.  

For the Peruvian public, PROMPERÚ will install a tourism desk at Parque de la Exposición, presenting the travel program ¿Y tú qué planes?, which promotes travel inside Peru.

The race for the Pan American podium will continue on Thursday, July 25. The Lima 2019 Pan American Games got underway with a series of riveting beach volleyball and handball matches. It is now turn for bowling, modern pentathlon, softball and squash competitions to start.

Women's preliminary handball matches, USA vs Dominican Republic (13:00-15:00), Cuba vs Puerto Rico (15:30-17:30), Peru vs Argentina (18:00-20:00) and Canada vs Brazil (20:30-22:30), are part of the sports program to take place at National Sports Village (VIDENA) in San Luis.

Beach volleyball competitions will continue today: 16 matches, in women's and men’s categories, will be held at Costa Verde Center San Miguel from 9:00 to 15:40.

JOIN US ON THE FIELD

At VIDENA, six men's doubles bowling events will be held from 9:00 to 13:00, while women’s doubles will take place from 16:00 to 20:00. Modern pentathlon will begin with the jumping events starting at 10:00 at Chorrillos Military School.

Men's softball preliminary round game between Mexico vs Argentina will go from 10:00 to 12:30 at Villa María del Triunfo Sports Center. Right after that, Venezuela and United States will clash from 13:00 to 15:30. Peru will close the session as they face off Cuba (16:00-18:30).

Finally, squash events in women’s singles, men’s singles and men’s doubles will be held from 9:00 to 15:00 at VIDENA In the quarterfinals, women’s singles will start at 18:45, while men’s singles will do so at 19:45. To learn more about the program, check out www.lima2019.pe

Let us not forget that Peruvian and international athletes need strong encouragement from us, sports fans, to win as many medals as possible.

You still have the chance to buy your tickets for any of the 26 sports that are available at lima2019.pe/tickets Some of them are: Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling, softball, boxing, archery, baseball, taekwondo, hockey, squash and surf.

Tickets for beach volleyball, shooting, volleyball, racquetball, basketball 3x3, cycling, badminton, track cycling, Basque pelota, karate, tennis, swimming, handball, table tennis and weightlifting are also available.

Amid a celebratory atmosphere, full of camaraderie, the delegations which have arrived in Peru to participate in the Lima 2019 Pan American Games were part of a series of official welcome ceremonies. Competitions have already started at the VIDENA and Costa Verde San Miguel.

The first delegations to be welcomed were those from Argentina, Aruba, Guyana, British Virgin Islands. They saw their flags being raised and sang their national anthems. After that, their chefs de mission were presented with cuchimilcos, which were the inspiration for the Lima 2019 mascot, Milco.

Later, similar ceremonies were held for the delegations of the Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil and Cayman Islands. Among the Brazilians, whose delegation is made up of nearly 100 athletes, stand out the men’s handball team, world champions in 2013; the women’s rugby team, already qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games; and the Basketball 3x3 team.

In the afternoon, ceremonies were held for the delegations from Canada, Dominican Republic, Bermuda and Puerto Rico. This time, the latter were joined by international star Luis Fonsi, who decided to be with his compatriots at the welcome ceremony and enjoy the show with them.

Delegations from Costa Rica, Haiti, Mexico, Paraguay, the Antilles, Barbados, Chile, Dominica and the United States were officially welcomed at the end of the day. Ceremonies will continue being held at the Village, which is welcoming hundreds of athletes who have already arrived in Peru.

 ABOUT LIMA 2019

The Opening Ceremony of the Lima 2019 Pan American Games will be held at the National Stadium this Friday, July 26. This continental event will gather 6680 athletes from 41 countries and delegations from the Americas.

There will be 17 days of competitions and ceremonies between July 26 and August 11, 2019, which will take place in 14 districts of Lima and Callao. Some venues are the VIDENA, Villa María 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. A total of 21 disciplines are qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Ticket prices start at PEN 10, with a discount

It is worth remembering that there are still tickets available for the competitions. Prices range from PEN 20 to PEN 10 for the Pan American and Parapan American Games, respectively. There will be a 50% discount for anyone under the age of 18, senior citizens over 60, and people with an impairment and their companions.

Fans can buy their tickets at lima2019.pe/tickets. The Organizing Committee has recently installed a new ticket booth at Jockey Plaza shopping center in Santiago de Surco. This new point of sale is an addition to the 10 points of sales already operating at Metro and Wong in the districts of Chorrillos, Independencia, La Molina, Lima, Miraflores, San Borja, San Isidro, San Juan de Miraflores, San Miguel and Surco.

Photo gallery (click here)

The defeat against Dominican Republic was hard; however, for the Peruvian handball team every match is a lesson learned for the future. It is important for fans to keep rooting for the Peruvian team, so that they do not stop trying. About 300 spectators rooted for the team until the end from the stands at VIDENA Sports Center 1 and acknowledged the girls' effort with their applause.

In fact, prolific scorer Ariana Cruz admitted that they attempted to take more risks thanks to the encouragement of Peruvian fans. “We didn't start nervously. We tried to attack confidently, but maybe that backfired because the Dominican team managed the counterattacks well. But it was a great experience, because we felt supported and we will keep trying our very best,” she said.

Meanwhile, Dominican top scorer Mariela Andino highlighted the competition level at the Pan American Games. “We went for it but, without a doubt, Peru caused us trouble at the beginning. The support from Peruvian fans also helped them, and honestly, it was a beautiful sporting atmosphere. I want to congratulate the Games organizers because they are doing a really good job,” she said.

Perú will face off Argentina tomorrow, July 25, at 18:00. The Argentinian women’s team, known as “La Garra”, won its debut match against the USA, showcasing their best talent who currently play in Europe: half left Elke Karsten, pivot Victoria Crivelli and right wing Camila Bonazzola.

If you want to cheer on the Peruvian team, buy your ticket at the Pan American and Parapan American Games website: lima2019.pe/tickets. You can also buy your tickets for the Lima 2019 competitions at the 11 points of sale from Jockey Plaza shopping center, in Santiago de Surco, and Metro and Wong in Chorrillos, Independencia, La Molina, Lima, Miraflores, San Borja, San Isidro, San Juan de Miraflores, San Miguel and Surco.

MEN'S COMPETITION

The men's tournament will go from July 31 to August 5. It will feature the derby match, Brazil vs. Argentina. Both teams feature star players who shone at last season's handball Champions League, the sport's best tournament in the world. In fact, Brazilian pivot Rogério Moraes won the tournament playing for Vardar from Macedonia, while playmaker Thiagus Petrus had a good season at Barcelona from Spain. The Argentinian team features brothers Diego, Pablo and Sebastián Simonet.

Group A is made up of United States, Cuba, Argentina and Chile. Peru is part of Group B along with Mexico, Puerto Rico and main candidates Brazil. The Peruvian team will debut against Puerto Rico, while Brazil will face Mexico. Meanwhile, the Argentinian “Gladiadores” will face off the USA.

LIMA 2019 REGULATIONS

There will be a preliminary round with two groups of four teams each. Teams in both groups will compete in a round-robin format. After the round-robin stage, the top two teams in each group will advance to the semifinals, where the first-placed teams will play against those finishing second. The semifinal winners will fight for the gold medal, while the losing teams will go for the bronze medal.

Meanwhile, the third and fourth-placed teams in each group will face off to determine the remaining four places in the qualifying round. Starting in the semifinals, matches that end in a tie after regular time, two overtimes will be played. If the tie persists, the winner will result from a penalty shootout.

Photo gallery (click here)

An unexpected visitor surprised everyone at the Pan American Village, where the official Welcome Ceremony for the delegations was taking place. Luis Fonsi arrived at the main accommodation venue to spend time with the athletes, especially the Puerto Rican team.

Fonsi is in Peru to perform his greatest hits at the Opening Ceremony of the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, that will take place this Friday, July 26, at the National Stadium.

During his visit to the Pan American Village, the Puerto Rican singer was welcomed by the president of Panam Sports, Neven Ilic, and the president of the Puerto Rican Olympic Committee, Sara Rosario. Afterwards, the president of Lima 2019, Carlos Neuhaus, joined them for lunch in the athletes’ dining hall.

Luis Fonsi had the opportunity to visit his fellow Puerto Ricans who are staying in tower 5, in the Village. He followed them into the building and encouraged them to get good results in the Pan American Games. He talked with each one of them and was also with them at the official Welcome Ceremony organized by Lima 2019.

The international singer was amazed by the Village’s facilities and the warmth that athletes from different nations showed him, who did not hesitate to take photos with him. “The best of luck to everyone in these Pan American Games. I’m happy that Puerto Rico is participating in these Games,” he added before leaving the Village. There are 244 athletes in the Puerto Rican delegation.

Fonsi also had the chance to watch the show put together by Lima 2019 for the delegations, which featured typical dances from the coast, highlands and jungle of Peru.

ABOUT LIMA 2019

The Opening Ceremony of the Lima 2019 Pan American Games will take place at the National Stadium on July 26, 2019. This continental event will gather 6680 athletes from 41 countries and delegations of the Americas.

There will be 17 days of competitions and ceremonies between July 26 and August 11, 2019, which will take place in 14 districts of Lima and Callao. Some venues are the VIDENA, Villa María 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. A total of 21 disciplines are qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Tickets starting at 10 soles, with discount

There are still tickets available for the competitions, ranging from 20 to 10 soles for the Pan American and Parapan American Games, respectively. There will be a 50% discount for anyone under the age of 18, senior citizens and people with impairments and their companion.

Fans can buy their tickets at lima2019.pe/tickets. The Organizing Committee has recently installed a new ticket booth in the Jockey Plaza shopping center, in Santiago de Surco. This new point of sale is an addition to the 10 points of sales that were already operating at the Metro and Wong supermarkets and stores in the districts of Chorrillos, Independencia, La Molina, Lima, Miraflores, San Borja, San Isidro, San Juan de Miraflores, San Miguel and Surco.

Photo gallery (click here)

Women’s handball is the first team sport to take place at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games. The best female athletes of the Americas—many of them succeeding in Europe—started to compete in Sports Center 1, and the Peruvian team is one of the first teams to participate in the tournament.

The eight best women’s teams of the continent will seek to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Peruvian fans supported the national team with a lot of energy. The level of the competition is very high, due to the participation of the current five-time Pan American champion, Brazil, and the best North American teams.

So that you do not miss out on the action of the best handball competition of the Americas, please see the competition schedule:

PUERTO RICAN JOY

Puerto Rico kicked off the competition with a definitive victory against Canada, in a group where they will attempt to outmatch the favorite, Brazil. The top scorer of the match, Puerto Rican Nathalys Ceballos, highlighted that the conditions at the Games for the athletes are first-rate.

“These are my fourth Pan American Games and I’m having a great time with my teammates. We’re pleased with how Peruvians have prepared even the smallest detail to make us feel at home. The accommodation, the food and the sports atmosphere that surrounds us. It would be ideal if the weather were to improve, but everything else is first-rate,” said the Puerto Rican captain.

MEN’S COMPETITION

The men’s tournament will take place from July 31 to August 5. One of the matches will be Brazil vs Argentina. Both teams arrived with stars that stood out in the last season of the Handball Champions League, the best tournament in the world. In fact, the Brazilian pivot, Rogério Moraes, won the championship with Vardar of Macedonia and the setter Thiagus Petrus stood out with Barcelona of Spain. Argentina’s stars are brothers Diego, Pablo and Sebastián Simonet.

Group A consists of the United States, Cuba, Argentina and Chile, while Peru, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Brazil are in group B. Peru will make its debut against Puerto Rico, while Brazil will debut against Mexico. Argentina’s “Gladiators” will face the United States.

LIMA 2019 REGULATIONS

There will be a preliminary round with two groups of four teams each that will compete in a round-robin format. After the round robin, the first two teams will advance to the semifinals, where the first and second place of each group will compete. The winning teams of the semifinal will compete for the gold medal, and the losing teams will play for the bronze.

Meanwhile, teams in third and fourth place of each group will play a qualification round to determine places fifth to eighth. Starting from the semifinals, tied matches, after the two regular periods, will be decided in up to overtime periods. Only if the tie persists, it will be decided by penalty throws.

Tickets are available on the Pan American and Parapan American Games website: lima2019.pe/tickets. Another way to buy tickets is at any of the 11 authorized points of sale located in the Jockey Plaza shopping center, in Santiago de Surco, and the Metro and Wong supermarkets and stores in Chorrillos, Independencia, La Molina, Lima, Miraflores, San Borja, San Isidro, San Juan de Miraflores, San Miguel and Surco.

The Lima 2019 Organizing Committee (COPAL) announced that the Peruvian multinational company, AJE, is the Official Sponsor of the Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games and will provide more than one million beverages for the close to10,000 athletes from 41 countries that will participate in the largest sports celebration in the continent.

COPAL President Carlos Neuhaus and AJE Chief Communication and Sustainability Officer Jorge López Dóriga participated in the press conference.

“Thanks to AJE for its support. It is a great satisfaction that a Peruvian multinational company is participating in the Pan American and Parapan American Games. We are going to have the luxury of having the participants drink Peruvian products,” said Carlos Neuhaus.

“It is important for us that a Peruvian company be part of Lima 2019, because we are committed to Peru and its progress. Moreover, it is a true honor to be part of a historic event for Peru,” said Jorge López Dóriga, representative of AJE. This company was founded in Ayacucho in 1998, by the Añaños Family, and its products are currently sold in over 23 countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa.

Each delegation will be able to drink AJE’s product, Sporade, before, during and after each competition, that can also be found in Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Central America and Mexico.

Likewise, athletes will have vending machines with Sporade, Cielo and Big Cola, in all the Lima 2019 sports venues and in the Pan American and Parapan American Village located in Villa El Salvador.

It is important to note that AJE also sponsors Peruvian athletes Álvaro Hidalgo (volleyball), José Luis Mandrós (athletics), Renzo León (rowing) and Mariano Wong (karate).