The Puerto Rican singer, Luis Fonsi, arrived in Lima with all his excitement, ready to give a stunning performance at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games Opening Ceremony, which will take place this Friday, July 26, at the National Stadium.

This way, the renowned exponent of Hispanic music is ready to appear on the stage of this unforgettable ceremony, in front of more than 40 thousand people, who will turn Lima into the epicenter of continental sports.

“I’m really excited to be part of a celebration as big as the Pan American Games. I love sports, I admire the athletes and I promise it will be a great night,” said the Caribbean artist a few days ago.

With an impeccable and successful 20-year artistic career, Luis Fonsi is undoubtedly one of the most transcendent Spanish-speaking singers in the world of music around the globe. He has achieved countless records, transcending borders and crossing language barriers with his radio hits "Despacito", "Échame La Culpa", "Imposible", among others.

At the Opening Ceremony of the most important multi-sport festival of the Americas, the Latin artist will be joined by the distinguished tenor and representative of Peruvian culture, Juan Diego Flórez. The national singers Guillermo Bussinger, Sandra Muente, Shantall Young and Pelo D'Ambrosio, among others, will also participate in the ceremony.

This historic show will also have more than 1700 artists, under the direction of the renowned dancer and choreographer Vania Masías. The landscapes of Peru in all its latitudes will be reflected through a splendid choreographic display, as well as the recreation of the Pan American Games history since its founding.

The Pan American Games Opening Ceremony will take place this Friday, July 26, at 18:00, at the National Stadium with the attendance of approximately 40 thousand people. Delegations from 41 countries in the Americas will parade and more than 6700 athletes will be received with the ovation from the public.

Six days before the marathon event, Miraflores is already in #PanAmericanMode and ready to receive the best 36 runners of the Americas in one of the most expected athletics competitions. The marathon event rehearsal was held today and it included the security measures, such as the closure of streets and detours of vehicles, which will be adopted on Saturday 27. 

The Peruvian National Police and the Peruvian Armed Forces, responsible for protecting the marathon route on the day of the competition, deployed their strategic and tactical units along the streets and avenues, while the Transit Department worked on the detours of vehicles along the alternate route indicated previously.    

This recognition race, organized by Peru Runners, was included by the Organizing Committee in the "Lima 2019 Test Events Calendar", which allowed to test how the safety and road plans will be executed on the day of the competition. 

Furthermore, this activity helped to communicate the neighbors about the plan that will be carried out on July 27: the hours they can go out, where they can move around and the emergency routes. However, the most important was to invite them to support our national athletes on the streets as marathon is one of the road sports that will be free of charges, as stated by Gustavo San Martín, the Sports Director of Lima 2019.  

The test was held on Sunday, July 21 from 06:00 and it included the closing of the transversal roads of avenues José Larco, Arequipa, Garcilaso de la Vega to the Paseo de los Héroes Navales, in front of the Palace of Justice. Officers were located along the route to monitor the normal development of this competition that had the facade of the Municipality of Miraflores as starting and finishing point. The Pan American marathon event will be held in the same place. 

Additionally, the Municipality and the Pan American Games personnel handed out leaflets with information that included the road closure map, alternatives routes, pedestrian crossings and vehicle entrance.  

The marathon circuit in the Pan American Games will cover 42.195 kilometers, for both women and men. The women's race starts at 08:30 and the men's event, one hour after. It will start at Av. Larco, near the headquarters of the Municipality of Miraflores, and will travel along Av. Arequipa and Garcilaso de la Vega towards Lima downtown. 

The return will be by the same avenues until arriving at the crossroads between Av. José Pardo and Av. Arequipa, in the Óvalo de Miraflores, to deviate towards the Malecón de la Reserva and the Malecón Cisneros and the Av. Armendáriz and Av. Larco to finish off at Parque Kennedy. The route will cross the districts of Miraflores, San Isidro, Lince and Lima. 

Among the participants are renowned Peruvian athletes such as Gladys Tejeda, Inés Melchor, Cristhian Pacheco, and Willy Canchanya. 

Recommendations 

The Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games Organizing Committee has some recommendations for the spectators that will attend the competitions: 

• Do not throw objects to the competition track. 

• Do not water water at the athletes. 

• Do not interfere with the marathon circuit. 

• Do not bring pets as they can run way and can burst in the competition. 

• Respect the closure of roads that will be executed during the competition. 

• Be tolerant of the implications of the event. 

About Lima 2019 

The Lima 2019 Games Opening Ceremony will be held at the National Stadium of Peru on July 26, 2019. 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, which will take place in 14 districts of Lima and Callao at various venues like 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. 

We are a few hours away from the most important multi-sport event in the continent to be staged in Peru. Competitions start on Wednesday, July 24 at 09:00 in the beach volleyball stadium of the Costa Verde San Miguel venue. That very afternoon, in Sports Center 1 at VIDENA, the first day of handball competitions will take place, gathering the best athletes in the Americas.

Two days later, on July 26, the much-awaited Opening Ceremony of the Pan American Games will take place. Such is the relevance of these Games that 110 Olympic medalists will compete at Lima 2019. This proves that the Games will be a gathering for the best athletes in the Americas. Sixty-six of the athletes participating in the coming days have won gold. These outstanding athletes have won a combined total of 155 Olympic medals, including gold, silver, and bronze.

Among the most renowned athletes that will compete in Lima is five-time Olympic champion swimmer Nathan Adrian, who picked up two gold medals at Rio 2016, one at Beijing 2008, and two at London 2012. We will also have Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce from Jamaica, winner of three gold medals (two at London 2012 and one at Beijing 2008). Her compatriot Elaine Thompson, double gold winner at Rio 2016, will also join the Games.

American female shooter Kim Rhode is another outstanding figure. She won gold in shotgun events at Atlanta 1996, Athens 2004 and London 2012.

One of the most remarkable teams is Cuba, which includes Mijaín López as flag bearer. He is part of Team Panam Sports, and a three-time gold medal winner in Greco-Roman wrestling at Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Rio 2016. Rio 2016 gold-winning boxers Julio César La Cruz Peraza and Arlen López, as well as Greco-Roman wrestler Ismael Borrero Molina, will also compete at the Games.

We will also have Argentinian judoka Paula Pareto, who won gold at Rio 2016 in the -48 kg event and bronze at Beijing 2008, and Argentinian basketball player Luis Scola, who won gold at Athens 2004 and bronze at Beijing 2008. We will also have the chance to see Mariana Pajón, Colombian BMX cyclist and two-time gold winner (London 2012 and Rio 2016).

ARGENTINIAN HOCKEY

The list also includes athletes from Argentina’s hockey team, gold medalists at Rio 2016, such as Juan Manuel Vivald, Lucas Martín Vila, Pedro Ibarra, Juan Martín López, Ignacio Horacio Ortíz, Matías Enrique Paredes and Matías Alejandro Rey.

Among the most outstanding athletes we will see compete is Thiago Braz, Brazilian gold medalist in pole vault at Rio 2016. We will also have the privilege of seeing Brazilian judoka Rafaela Lopes Silva and her compatriot sailors Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze. All three were also gold medalists at Rio 2016.

HERE IS A LIST OF ALL OLYMPIC MEDALISTS TO COMPETE AT LIMA 2019

BUY YOUR TICKETS

Get your tickets to watch these events. You can buy them on the Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games website: www.lima2019.pe. 

You can also buy them in the authorized points of sale at Metro and Wong in Chorrillos, Independencia, La Molina, Lima, Miraflores, San Borja, San Isidro, San Juan de Miraflores, San Miguel and Surco.  A new sales stand has been opened at Jockey Plaza shopping center in Santiago de Surco.

Lima will host the largest multi-sports event in the Americas in just three days. You cannot miss it! The Lima 2019 Pan American Games will be a colorful celebration. There are still chances for the best fanbase in the world to get tickets and root for Peruvian athletes. You will also see the continent’s best athletes in action. Some of them will compete to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Football is one of the most anticipated events for Peruvian fans because the U-22 team, made up of the best talents from the Peruvian league, will go for the gold medal under the guidance of Nolberto Solano. Alianza Lima players Kevin Quevedo and Aldair Fuentes, along with Sporting Cristal's Gianfranco Chavez and Jesus Pretel are part of the team that will seek glory in the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos stadium.

Likewise, there are other events that you cannot miss. The best wrestlers, like American world star Kyle Snyder, as well as Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling champion and Cuban legend Mijain Lopez, will compete at Miguel Grau Coliseum in Callao.

You can also watch the current men’s softball champions at the Villa María del Triunfo venue: Argentina. Meanwhile, the biggest stars of Central American and Caribbean baseball will also shine in Southern Lima. Villa María del Triunfo Sports Center will also bear witness to the excellent level of the current Olympic men’s hockey champions, the “Leones” from Argentina.

The Cuba boxing team, consisting of seven world champions and three Olympic champions, will go for the ten gold medals on the ring of Miguel Grau Coliseum. This district will also see the best taekwondo fighters in the whole world compete in the tatami of the Callao Sport Center. Peruvian representatives Marcela Castillo, Hugo del Castillo and Julissa Diez Canseco will go for the gold medal. Let’s go and cheer them up so they can achieve their dream!

Peru also has good chance of winning gold in the squash, shooting and surf events. Diego Elías, the eighth best squash players in the world, is in top form to pick up a gold medal at the VIDENA Volleyball CAR. Meanwhile, ‘Piccolo’ Clemente and nine other surfers will seek glory in Punta Rocas beach. Alessandro de Souza and Nicolás Pacheco will enthusiastically represent the Peruvian shooting team in Las Palmas shooting range.

You can also root for the women’s pair made up by Lisbeth Alca and Alexandra Mendoza, who want to earn a gold medal for Peru in the beach volleyball event. The Peruvian women's volleyball team needs support for the competition against the mighty Dominican Republic, Canada and USA teams, which will also go for the gold at Callao Sports Center.

The best female racquetball player ever will also be at the Callao Regional Sports Center. In addition, the best basketball, swimming, table tennis and karate stars will arrive in Lima to give their best performance in their respective events.

Tickets are still available for other disciplines such as Basque pelota, tennis, weightlifting and handball, with the historic derby Brazil vs. Argentina.

Ticket prices start at PEN 10, with a discount

Ticket prices start at PEN 20 or 10 for the Pan American and Parapan American Games, respectively. There will be 50% off for anyone under the age of 18, senior citizens and people with an impairment.

Fans can buy their tickets at lima2019.pe/tickets. The Lima 2019 Organizing Committee has recently installed a point of sale at Jockey Plaza Shopping Center, in Santiago de Surco. This new point of sale joins the other ten already located in 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 should be noted that 21 disciplines in the Pan American Games are qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, while 13 Para sports will be qualifiers for the Paralympic Games.

Chiclayo. Historic, tireless and very charismatic. A huge smile was drawn on Sergio “El Checho” Ibarra’s face while he carried the torch in one hand and, with the other, greeted the audience from Chiclayo. He was the highlight of the day. The historic goal scorer of Peruvian football had the privilege of carrying the Pan American Flame in an environment full of support and encouragement shouts.  
 
He ran 500 meters, 300 more than what any torchbearer usually runs for the relay. In this way, he proved that he remains in top shape at his age. “I am very grateful, nervous and excited. I was born in Argentina, but I have been living in Peru for more than 26 years. My heart is Peruvian and I am proud of carrying the torch, considering the importance of the Pan American Games.” This time, “El Checho” scored a goal out of the court and we are sure that it will be one of the greatest in his admirable career. 
 
Daniela Fernández shines with her own light. Widely experienced sports journalist of great charisma and news presenter on a well-known private sports channel, Fernández was also chosen to carry the flame that lights us all in Chiclayo. “I feel proud and excited. We are talking about the Pan American Torch! It's nice to be able to participate in this,” said Daniela who ran 200 meters with the Flame that burned as fiery as her naturalness and kindness. 
 
George Edward Díaz Enríquez is the 2018 Karate and Martial Arts World Champion of the IMAT Open Elite Series, which was held in Buenos Aires. He has also participated in the Aztec Intercontinental Championship in Aguas Calientes, Mexico, last June. He's 26 years old and is an outstanding athlete and instructor, as well as Chiclayo's favorite son and pride of Peru, and he was also chosen to be a torchbearer. “I am very happy to participate in the relay. I would advise teenagers to practice sports because it is one of the best choices in life.” 
 
Jannet Sofía Irigoyen Muñoz is 43 years old and a true role model for her dedication and strength. The poliomyelitis left irreparable damages on her. However, she, like hundreds of people, has managed to live like everyone else. Devoted to sports and social work for many years, Jannet was chosen by the Chiclayo Regional Government to be a torchbearer in recognition of her tireless work as an activist for people with an impairment in Peru. “We only want our rights to be recognized and respected. I will continue fighting each day to achieve this goal. Carrying the torch is an honor and I do it not only for myself, but also on behalf of all people with an impairment in Peru." 

He is a man of few words but with so much talent. Miguel Miñope Farro held his latest creation with both hands: sweet bread in the shape of Milco, the lovable Pan American and Parapan American 2019 mascot, while recounting its creation process. He would not give away his recipe, but he did reveal that it took him 10 hours to shape and bake his beautiful masterpiece.

“It takes a lot of patience to make it. Just one mistake and everything's ruined,” he said seriously. Immediately, his face changed. Miguel, who only wanted to show his work, found out that he could go onto the Pan American Games stage at Chiclayo Main Square. The unexpected was about to happen. Miguel smiled for a moment; apparently, he had become aware of what was happening. He realized he would become part of Chiclayo and Peruvian history.

Miguel, aged 53, has devoted 30 years of his life to bakery. He inherited this art from his parents, helping to feed dozens of people from Chiclayo who buy his bread at his “Miñope” bakery, located at the intersection of Jirón Sucre and Diego Ferré in Monsefú. His children did not follow this family tradition as he would have wished, but they did not go on a totally different path, His four children have studied Gastronomy at a professional level, so Miguel feels as proud of them as his Monsefú hometown is proud of him.

While it is true that it is not the first time he has made sweet bread in special shapes, now it was different because it was for such a major event as the Pan American Games. Although Miguel did not carry the Torch, the experience left him with a spiritual flame in his heart and memory, which he will never put out. “I feel so honored and proud of being part of this. We are lucky – these things don’t happen every day,” he told us before he went to the stage and gave away his masterpiece to the Torch Relay organizers, who saw this present as a token of all the public affection shown daily throughout the Torch route.

Members of the Peruvian sailing team took a break from training on the way to Lima 2019 to get involved in an environmental initiative which is aimed at preserving the sea in Paracas. Renowned windsurfer María Belén Bazo gathered the best Peruvian sailors who put their hands to work, joined by local volunteers and school students.

The activity took place this morning on El Chaco beach at the Bahía de Paracas, which will host Lima 2019 sailing competitions. Sailors Stefano Peschiera, Alessio Botteri, Matías Panizzo, Renzo Sanguineti, Francesco Puliatti and Jean Paul de Trazegnies helped collect over 50 bags full of plastic waste from the Peruvian sea.

“We sailors spend all day at sea and, actually, it’s just horrible to see more and more garbage in our beaches. In this activity, we managed to take out plastic bags and even old tires. They’re not supposed to be here. I hope this makes us Peruvians aware of the need to take care of the environment,” stated Bazo.

Peschiera, in turn, was glad to see the people’s cooperation. “I’m proud to be doing this environmental work to help our beaches. I think it’s important to spread these values to the younger generations, like those schoolchildren who helped us take so much plastic out of the sea. I do hope we Peruvians think twice before polluting our sea,” remarked Peschiera.

SAILING AT LIMA 2019

Sailing competitions will take place at the Peruvian Yacht Club in Paracas from August 3 to 11. In total, events in nine categories will be held, including two men’s events (Laser standard and RS-X), three women’s (Laser standard, RS-X and 49er FX), two open (Sunfish and Formula Kite) and three mixed (snipe, Nacra 17 and lightning).

The races will take place on a course marked by colored buoys placed by the race committee. The orientation of the course will be set up so that the first leg of the race will be to windward (except for Kite Foiling, which will have a reach start), with the starting line at right angles to the wind.

Bahía de Paracas is considered the best location for sailing races due to the wind that blows over the seaside during certain hours of the afternoon, which enables boats to reach high speeds. The competition zone comprises an aquatic area with a minimum area of 35,000 square meters, unaffected by currents.

To follow the Peruvian team, buy your tickets at lima2019.pe/tickets and at the authorized points of sale, Teleticket from 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.  It is worth noting that a new point of sale has recently opened at Jockey Plaza shopping center, located in Surco.

ABOUT LIMA 2019

The opening ceremony of the Lima 2019 Pan American Games will be held at the National Stadium in July 26, 2019. 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, which will take place in 14 districts of Lima and Callao at various venues like 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 22 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. Thirteen sports will be qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Find the full gallery here

Monday, July 20—. Carlos Neuhaus, president of the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee (COPAL), stated that the main mission during his administration was to fulfill a State commitment: to make these Pan American and Parapan American Games a success.

“We couldn’t let the country be ashamed before the Americas and be known as a country that fails to fulfill a commitment. That was our main motivation,” he said this morning in a radio interview.

“On July 26, it will be two years and 10 months since I took on this challenge, that Peru had also taken on as a host country in October 2013. We dedicated to work as hard as possible and we didn't focus on seeing what happened before, because if we continued digging into the past, we wasted time. That will be taken care of by others.”

He explained that if the commitment had not been fulfilled, the fee would have been 50 million dollars, and other sports competitions could not be organized in the country for 10 or 20 years.

On the other hand, he assured that a saving was made possible in the execution of the initial budget: the master plan included five billion PEN, but only four billion, three hundred million PEN have been used.

“We have tried to save money everywhere. For example, the master plan included that we had to build 39 towers in the Pan American and Parapan American Village; a breakwater in La Punta, which would have cost like the Village. Well, instead of 39 towers we built 7, and instead of the breakwater—which would have been a huge legacy, but was a cost we couldn’t afford—we moved the venue for rowing competitions to the Albúfera de Medio Mundo in Huacho, which is amazing.”

GOVERNMENT-TO-GOVERNMENT AGREEMENT

Neuhaus also highlighted the government-to-government agreement with the UK as one of the most important and wise decisions in this demanding process.

“The British Government hired the best representatives in the world: the project looks like the United Nations. They have helped us, for example–in the case of the most difficult works–with the NEC (New Engineering Contract) contract modality, acting as the central project office, where bids were made, and with our approval, contracts were awarded, agreements were signed, and the inspections started. We could not afford to fail, so it was better to work with people who had already done it before, and had already made mistakes: there was no need to reinvent the wheel. Likewise, we currently have technicians and professionals who are being hired for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Regarding the start of the competitions, he stressed that the 21 sports that will be qualifiers for Tokyo 2020 will attract the leading sports figures of the Americas, and this number of people also represents a recognition to the work performed by the organization.

“The Toronto Pan American Games only included 12 sports that were qualifiers for the Rio Olympic Games, which means that as time went by, these sports increased. This means that the best athletes from the Americas will come to secure their tickets to the Olympic Games,” he explained.

THE BEGINNING OF THE GREAT SPORTS EVENT

Regarding the Opening Ceremony, he revealed that–after the Pan American Torch ceremony in Teotihuacán, Mexico, and its arrival in Peru–the Torch will be transported by the “Unión” ship, one of the largest and fastest sailboats in the world, which has won international regattas in the United States and Canada, from Callao to Lima; finally entering the National Stadium where the ceremony will be held.

“We are going to show Peru's history. In two hours and twenty minutes, we are going to show the Inca era, the popular culture, there will be Peruvian Paso horses, Caballitos de Totora, etc. Additionally, Juan Diego Flórez, who was already preparing his orchestra since we took up the challenge of the Lima 2019 Games, will be part of this celebration.”

Finally, he confessed that the most important challenge for him are the Parapan American Games: to make all sport venues accessible and to change the civic mindset of Peruvians regarding people with an impairment.

“We are working very hard so that the municipalities design the streets for people to move in wheelchairs throughout the city. We have to make everyone understand that there are people who don’t have the same luck as we do, and the best way to achieve this is catching their attention through emotional experiences, showing how these amazing Para athletes do sports in a wheelchair and manage to overcome great challenges.”

ABOUT LIMA 2019

The Opening Ceremony of the Lima 2019 Pan American Games will be held at the National Stadium on July 26, 2019. 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, which will take place in 14 districts of Lima and Callao at various venues like 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 22 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. Thirteen sports will be qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Click here to see the photo gallery

VIDENA is becoming increasingly colorful. The surroundings of the most important sports venue of Lima 2019 show a colossal image of the Games mascot, Milco, painted on the water tank located at the intersection of Canadá and San Luis avenues.

This work of art is part of the urban art that Lima 2019 is spreading across the city; in terms of size, it is the most impressive example.

The Pan American and Parapan American Games mascot—painted on the water tank—looks over the district of San Luis from above. The tank was originally white and now it is full of radiant colors. As the competitions begin, Milco will be like a huge totem that will watch over all the athletes inside the sports center.

Other Artistic Works

At the same time, inside VIDENA—on the path that connects the Aquatic Center, the Velodrome and the Athletics Stadium—various murals express all the passion and adrenaline that sports trigger and will result in spectators filling the venues in just seven days. One of the murals reads: “Together, we will make it far”.

Moreover, ten Peruvian athletes who will participate in Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games were portrayed by nine artists. These artists were selected through an open call on social media.

They had the emblematic facade of Moscoso Stadium in Surquillo as canvas, where they showcased all their talent. The artwork is part of the Lima 2019 ‘Muros que Unen’ campaign. This initiative is aimed at encouraging other municipalities, apart from Surquillo, and the general public to offer their districts' walls and have artists fill them with colors and passion for sports.

ABOUT LIMA 2019

The opening ceremony of the Lima 2019 Pan American Games will be held at the National Stadium in July 26, 2019. 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, which will take place in 14 districts of Lima and Callao at various venues like 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 62 disciplines, in which athletes will compete for gold, silver and bronze medals. A total of 22 disciplines are qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

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

On Sunday July 21, the city of Cajamarca will come alive when the first torch is lit at 15:22 at the Baños del Inca tourist complex. Then, the Torch will begin a 7.5-kilometer journey, reaching emblematic landmarks such as the Santa Apolonia viewpoint and ending at the Main Square, where the cauldron will be lit.

One of the Peruvians who will light up the city with the Pan American Flame is Chardin Mijahuanca. He is a young man who, despite his limited finances, has been able to deliver moments of joy to neglected elderly people or gravely ill children. The city of Cajamarca has acknowledged and praised his efforts.

Another torchbearer will be Michel Cueva, a brilliant mind from Cajamarca. Although only 26, he has already taught at 10 universities, and is a leading specialist in hydraulic modeling. He is currently carrying out important projects in Mexico.

It is worth noting that, while the city of Cajamarca is celebrating, another special event will be held eight kilometers away, at the Ventanillas de Otuzco, also on July 21 at 15:00. There, another two torchbearers will raise the Pan American Flame.