At the beginning of the ceremony, the Peruvian flag was carried by the gold medalists of the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, surfer Daniella Rosas and fronton player Kevin Martinez.

The traditional parade of the delegations participating in the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games was led by the main representatives of the countries competing in the sixth edition of the event, inaugurated today at the National Stadium.

The Peruvian delegation received the most applause, like at the Pan American Games, led by Para taekwondo fighter Angélica Espinoza. She is one of the main contenders to win medals at the Parapan American Games, which began this past Thursday.

Among the main flagbearers were Gustavo “Gusti” Fernández, first in the wheelchair tennis world ranking and winner of three Grand Slams contested this year, who led the Argentinian team.

The flagbearer for the United States was Katie Holloway, gold medalist in the Rio 2016 and Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games and silver medalist in London 2012 in sitting volleyball. Costa Rica’s flagbearer was Para swimmer Camila Haase.

Carrying Brazil’s flag was the world’s best goalball player, Leomon Moreno da Silva, who led a delegation that has come to win first place like they did in Rio 2007, Guadalajara 2011 and Toronto 2015.

The flagbearer for Mexico was judoka Eduardo Ávila, who will compete in the 81 kg category. His track record includes a gold medal in the Rio 2007, Guadalajara 2011 and Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games, as well as a gold medal in the Beijing 2008 and Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

The Colombian leader was Alejandro Perea, one of the best Para cyclists in the world and current world champion. He will compete in the Para cycling track individual time trial and pursuit events and in the Para cycling road sprint and time trial events.

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In the parade, Darwin Castro, an athlete with visual impairment, carried the Ecuadorian flag. He competes in the 1500- and 5000-meter events alongside his guide, Sebastián Rosero, who won the bronze medal in 5000 meters at Toronto 2015.

Chile’s flagbearer was Para swimmer Alberto Abarza, who won the National Sports Award of Chile and has five Parapan American records in 50, 100 and 200 meters freestyle and in 50 and 100 meters backstroke. He is ranked first in the Para swimming World Series.

Para swimmer Javier Hernández is the flagbearer for Puerto Rico, while Para badminton player Raúl Anguiano led the Guatemalan delegation. Akira López, who will compete in 100 meters, was chosen as the leader of the delegation of Nicaragua.

Meanwhile, Para athlete Getrudis Ortega was tasked with leading Panama in the parade.  The Para athletics multi-medalist, Omara Durand, was chosen as flagbearer for Cuba. She is considered the fastest woman in the Paralympic world, surpassing the 12-second barrier in 100 meters.

Additionally, the other flagbearers were Elliott Loonstra from Aruba (Para taekwondo), Sean Cooke from Barbados (Para athletics, Steve Wilson from Bermuda (boccia), Stephanie Chan from Canada (Para table tennis), Herbert Aceituno from El Salvador (Para powerlifting), Gibran Sarfaraz from Guyana (Para table tennis), Lounevie Pierre from Hait (Para athletics), Carlos Velásquez from Honduras (Para athletics).

Finally, the following were also flagbearers: Chadwick Campbell from Jamaica (Para athletics), Melissa Nair Tillner Galeano from Paraguay (Para athletics), José Manuel Abud from the Dominican Republic (Para powerlifting), John Jaldini from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (Para swimming), Chivaro Belfort from Suriname (Para athletics), Nyoshia Cain-Claxton from Trinidad and Tobago (Para athletics), Carmelo Milán from Uruguay (Para shooting) and Belkys Mota from Venezuela (Para swimming).

There is nothing more gratifying for Lima 2019 Para athletes than competing on a stage where there is constant cheering. This morning, the Callao Sports Center provided that human warmth to the best sitting volleyball players of the continent, who expressed their gratitude with a big applause. In this festive setting, the first phase of the Parapan American Games sitting volleyball competition began.

Although the Peruvian debut was not encouraging, as they lost 3-0 to the three-time champion, Brazil, this type of international experience adds up. It is important to keep in mind that this is the first time the Peruvian teams participate in this type of competition.

“We competed against the best team of the continent, which has players who have been in three Olympic cycles. They practice the sport full time, while we have only been training seven months for this event. However, we enjoyed it because the support of the crowd was amazing and that motivates us for what’s coming next,” said the team captain, Bruno Quiros.

On his part, Brazil’s star player, Daniel Lima (world runner-up and three-time Parapan American Games champion), stated he was moved by the Peruvian fans’ support. “We applauded the fans because, for a Para athlete, this means a lot. I still remember that when I started my cycle with Brazil, at the Rio 2007 Parapan American Games, we didn’t have any fans. This will help Peruvian volleyball,” he pointed out.

The Peruvian men’s team will play two matches tomorrow: first against the United States at 10:00 and then against Canada at 15:00. The women’s team will debut against the United States from 19:00. The tournament has a round-robin format and the top four teams will advance to the semifinals. Then, the two winning teams of the semifinals will compete for the gold medal on August 28.

BUY YOUR TICKETS

Tickets to see the two Peruvian sitting volleyball teams in action start at PEN 10 and there will be a 50% discount for people under the age of 18, senior citizens and people with an impairment. Tickets may be purchased at the ticket office at VIDENA, gate 1, and at the 11 Teleticket counters.

Tickets can also be purchased online, on the official website lima2019.pe/tickets, where you can find the detailed competition schedule. In the case of e-tickets, printing will not be necessary, as the spectator can show their e-ticket on their mobile phones at the venue’s entrance.

The Peruvian men’s sitting volleyball team will start their participation in the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games on Friday, August 23, facing off the Brazilian team at the Callao Sports Center.

The Peruvian volleyball players will seek their first victory against the Brazilian team, who has lots of potential and is ready to take a medal in this sports discipline.

The match will take place at 22:00 and the Peruvian team will be supported by the local audience.

Before this match, Colombia will compete against Costa Rica at 18:00 at the same venue, in Callao.

On the second day of competitions, Para table tennis will also be hosted at the VIDENA Sports Center 3 in San Luis, where the participating countries will seek a spot on the podium at the Parapan American Games.

In the morning, Shirley Ávila (Peru) will compete against Manuela Guapi (Colombia) at 10:20 and Guillermo Yáñez (Peru) will face off Matias Pino (Chile) at 11:40, at the same venue. It should be noted that some matches will start at 9:00 and the participating countries are: Argentina, Cuba, Brazil, the USA, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Canada, Venezuela, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Mixed wheelchair rugby competitions will also be held on this day at the Villa El Salvador Sports Center, where Canada will compete against Argentina at 18:00, the US vs. Chile at 19:45, and Brazil vs. Colombia at 21:30.

The Lima 2019 celebration continues with the Parapan American Games and all the joy transmitted by Para athletes of the Americas during the competitions. This morning, Para table tennis starts the first day of women and men single competitions at the Sports Center 3 in VIDENA.

Around fifty children from Madre Admirable School in the district of El Agustino and members of “La Blanquirroja” cheered up the two Peruvians, who debuted in the morning session. Luis Traverso (class 3) and Jesús Yampufé (class 4) were defeated by their opponents, but they gave their best.  Both practice the Para sport on wheelchairs.

Peruvian Guillermo Yáñez (class 6) and Shirley Aguilar (class 4), both with physical impairments, will also begin their journey in the next few hours. In the second session of the day, the four Para athletes will compete for the second time against their corresponding groups.

The great attraction for the attendees was to see in action the current champions of the Games: Paulo Salmin (class 7), Aloísio Lima (class 1) and Luiz Manara (class 8) from Brazil.  They showed that they are the favorites after winning by three sets to zero against their opponents and giving their best on the table.

BUY YOUR TICKETS

The evening session starts at 16:00. You cannot miss these wonderful Para athletes. Tickets start at PEN 10 and there will be a 50% discount for children under 18, senior citizens and people with an impairment. Tickets can be bought in ticket booths located at the gate 1 of VIDENA and in eleven authorized points of sale.

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

Photo Gallery (click here)

One of the privileges that hosting Lima 2019 will grant us is seeing the world’s best Para athletes in action. One of these athletes is Leomon Moreno, currently considered the best Para goalball player in the world, one of the most exciting competitions that we will be able to enjoy during the Parapan American Games.

Leomon Moreno da Silva was born with retinitis pigmentosa (a degenerative disease that also affected his family). He is a functional Para athlete that also competed in football 5-a-side and Para athletics. He won a silver medal for goalball in the London 2012 Paralympic Games and a bronze medal in Rio 2016, with a goal he scored against Sweden in overtime.

At the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games, he won a gold medal and, at the 2014 IBSA World Cup in Finland, he placed first, just like in Mallmö, Sweden, in 2018. With this feat, Leomon qualified for Tokyo 2020; hence, if Brazil wins in Lima, it will pass its quota place to the second-place team, which will then qualify for next year’s Paralympic Games. All these titles have earned him his reputation as the best goalball player in the world.

With this, Brazil will be one of the main attractions in a fully equipped facility like the Miguel Grau Coliseum of Callao, where a well-organized international championship was held in 2018.

Goalball is also one of the Para sports in which Peru will participate for the first time, both in women’s and men’s. This sport was created for people who are blind or vision impaired.

The appeal of this Para sports is that the ball is almost always in play, which makes it very dynamic.

How do you play this sport?

Two teams of three people each play against each other. Team members wear eyeshades that block out their vision completely.

The match lasts 24 minutes, divided into two halves of 12 minutes. Each period has a three-minute break.

How do you win a match?

You score a goal when the ball, thrown with one hand, enters the opposing team’s net. The team that scores the most goals wins. If there is a difference of 10 goals between the teams, the match is over.

How are players’ guided?

Because they are people with visual impairment, the ball, which weighs 1.25 kg, has a key role in the development of the match: it contains bells inside, which make a loud noise that serve as a guide for the players.

What is the field of play like?

The field of play measures 18 meters long and nine meters wide. It has nets, 1.30 meters tall, on each nine-meter back-line.

The field of play is divided into three areas:

• Orientation area

• Landing area

• Team area

How do players protect themselves?

Players wear elbow pads, kneepads and neck protectors.

COMPETITION SYSTEM

The competition system is a round robin. Brazil will seek to win the title obtained at Toronto 2015 once again, where they won gold, both in women’s and men’s, with their star player Leomon Moreno da Silva.

The following women’s teams will participate in Lima 2019: Canada, Brazil, Peru, Costa Rica, Mexico and USA; while the men’s team will be: Brazil, Argentina, USA, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Venezuela and Peru.

Goalball will be contested from August 25 to 31 at the Miguel Grau Coliseum in Callao. The first match will take place on August 25, starting at 10:00, between Canada and Brazil in the women’s category.

DAY ONE FIXTURE

TICKET SALES

If you do not want to miss this multi-sports celebration, you are still in time to buy your tickets to go to competitions and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Parapan American Games.

Tickets start at PEN 10. There will be a 50% discount for children under 18, senior citizens and people with an impairment. Tickets can be bought at the 11 Lima 2019-authorized points of sale around the city. Learn where they are located:

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

1. Mexican racquetball player Paola Longoria won her third gold in the Pan American Games, winning the singles and doubles events.
2. Venezuelan Yulimar Rojas took her first gold in the Pan American Games, after winning the triple jump event, even setting a new Pan American record.
3. Colombian cyclist Mariana Pajón got her second gold medal in the Pan American Games, after the one she won at Guadalajara 2011.
4. Argentina’s basketball team clearly won the competition and picked up their second gold medal since Mar del Plata 1995. The team led by Luis Scola amazed the audience at the Eduardo Dibós Coliseum.
5. The Argentina’s hockey teams qualified to Tokyo 2020, showing their talent in each match, at the Villa María del Triunfo Sports Center. “Las Leonas” got their seventh gold and “Los Leones”, the tenth. Total Supremacy.
6. Brazilian tennis player Hugo Calderano won two gold medals in singles and doubles. The best player in the history of the Americas shone in Lima 2019 with his best talent.
7. Cuban wrestler Mijaín López reached his fifth consecutive Pan American gold at Lima 2019. The athlete who is also five-time world champion and three-time Olympic champion thanked the warmth of the Peruvian people.
8. Argentinian men’s rugby team stopped the two-time Canadian champion’s supremacy in the Pan American Games. Los Pumas swept all their rivals, in an amazing physical game, in Villa Maria del Triunfo.
9. Cuban Boxing shone again in a continental competition with eight gold medals out of 10 possible finals. Seven world champions and three Olympians confirmed that Cuba leads in this sport.
10. Brazilian swimmer Leonardo de Deus became three-time Pan American champion in the 200 m butterfly event, even though he was not on the Brazilian Olympic Committee’s initial list. He came in to replace a teammate who tested positive in the doping control. In addition, he claimed gold in mixed 4x100 medley relay, silver in 4x100 medley relay and bronze in 200 m backstroke.
11. Venezuelan fencer Ruben Limardo was crowned three-time Pan American champion in épée event. He also won bronze in the team event, having a total of eight medals in the Pan American Games.
12. Argentinian swimmer Delfina Pignatiello was crowned as the queen of the waters at Lima 2019, when she claimed three gold medals in the races of 400, 800 and 1500 meters. At the age of 19, she is the child prodigy in swimming throughout South America.
13. The American swimmer Margo Geer took four gold medals, one individual and four in relay events, becoming one of the most successful participants in Lima 2019.
14. Colombian athlete Anthony Zambrano won two gold medals in the 400m and 4x400m events, standing out as one of the new South American stars in athletics for the Tokyo 2020 Games.
15. Mexican diver Kevin Berlin was crowned as the new Latin American star after winning the 10m platform individual and synchronized events.
16. Cuban judoka Idalys Ortíz picked up her third consecutive gold medal in the +78 kg event. She is one of the most successful athletes in Cuba.
17. American wrestler Kyle Snyder became Pan American champion for the second time in the 97 kg event.  At the age of 23, he is also Olympic champion and two-time world champion.
18. Swimmer Marcela Cunha won gold in open water swimming and closed a wonderful year, after two world gold medals in the 5 and 25 km aquatic marathon. With 10 gold medals, she was crowned as the woman with the most titles in the World Aquatic Sports Championships and entered the Hall of Fame, after winning at Lima 2019.
19. Peruvian karateka Alexandra Grande and water skier Natalia Cuglievan went down in the history of Peruvian sport after winning their second consecutive gold medals in the Pan American Games. This fact will remain in history.

Many images will remain in our memory, since that July 24, when the eighteenth edition of the Pan American Games started in the beach volleyball courts of Costa Verde San Miguel. The 6680 athletes that visited Lima 2019 left us beautiful moments of triumph and defeat that will forever carved in the memory of each person that had the chance of being part of this sport celebration of the Americas.

1. The Games opening ceremony was a reunion with our culture and national identity. The most touching moment was the participation of the tenor Juan Diego Flórez, singing live Chabuca Granda´s songs.
2. The first medal for Peru was awarded on July 27, in taekwondo – Poomsae. The silver medal for Hugo del Castillo and the medal awarded to Marcela Castillo ignited the fans at the Callao Sports Center.
3. The first gold medal for Peru was awarded on that same day. Gladys Tejeda, and Christian Pacheco right after, broke Pan American records in marathon to earn their medals.
4. Peru ended that memorable July 27 with a third gold medal, after the victory of Diego Elías in squash. In just one day, Peruvian athletes matched the best gold medal count on Pan American Games. 
5. British Virgin Islands (Chantel Malone in long jump), Grenada (Anderson Peters in javelin throw), Bolivia (in racquetball in teams), Barbados (Shane Brathwaite in 110 meters hurdles) and Paraguay (Fabrizio Zanotti in golf) won their first gold medals in the history of the Pan American Games. An indelible memory for these nations in Lima 2019. In addition, Aruba won its first medal with the bronze obtained by Mack van den Eerenbeemt in sailing.
6. Andrea Vargas became the first Costa Rican women to win a gold medal in athletics for her country. She defeated two Americans in the 100 meters hurdles event.
7. Natalia Cuglievan and Alexandra Grande won their second consecutive gold medal .in Pan American Games. They are the most prize-winning Peruvian athletes in this kind of continental events.
8. Peruvian surf took three golds in an unprecedented session in Punta Rocas. Benoit Clemente, Daniella Rosas and Luca Mesinas reached the top of the Pan American podium.                                       
9. Romantic moments. The Argentinian gymnast Federico Molinari proposes to her fiancée Paula Cancio during a live interview. In addition, Peruvian athlete Paola Mautino was surprised by her fiancé and coach, after competing in the 4x100 m event, when he approached her, a ring in his hand, to ask her to marry him.
10. Men's karate reached a milestone for Peruvian sport: four medals in four finals. The kata men’s team took the gold. Peru won three bronzes in the men’s and women’s individual kata and in the women’s team event.
11. The moving drop-off from Argentinian judoka Paula Pareto because of an injury. She fought with a back pain in Lima 2019, but she did it as a champion. However, she could not fight for the bronze and lost by walk-over.
12. In the 4x100 freestyle relay, Brazil defeated USA and completely destroyed the Pan American record at the Aquatic Center.
13. The uncontrollable crying of Brazilian Ederson Vilela at the top of the podium, after winning the 10000 m event at the athletics stadium of VIDENA. Vilela confessed that he did not think he could win this event, that his hopes were on the 5000 m event where he placed seventh.
14. Brazil won the 1500 meters swimming event, after 68 years, in Buenos Aires 1951. Guilherme Costa dominated the men’s endurance event.
15. The Brazilian women’s handball team won its fifth consecutive gold in Lima 2019 by defeating Argentina, for the third consecutive time in this kind of event.
16. Eve Jobs, Steve Jobs’ daughter, competed in the equestrian jumping event and won bronze in the individual contest. The Apple's co-founder heir was very happy with how Peru welcomed her.
17. Argentina made the podium in every group sport, except in women’s basketball. The women’s team lost its match against Colombia by W.O. because athletes were not wearing the uniform agreed at the technical meeting the day before.
18. Nathan Adrian, one of the biggest USA swimming stars, won two gold and three silver medals in Lima. The American swimmers praised the Games organization and was amazed by the five cuchimilcos he received in the podium.
19. The Mexican diver Paola Espinosa reached an amazing score in Lima 2019 by winning her fifth medal in Pan American Games, something that will be forever carved in Mexico’s sport history.

After 17 days of competition, the Lima 2019 Pan American Games have left a mark in the memory of the most outstanding athletes of the Americas. Whether it is the Olympic quality of the organization, its incomparable culinary, the distinctive joy of its fans, among other traits; the truth is Peru has offered the best of itself to the international athletic community.

The medalists are the ones who can testify the feats achieved in this multi-sports event carried out for the first time in Peru. At Jorge Chávez International Airport, before flying back home, some athletes shared their impressions about Peru.

Brazilian karateka Valeria Kumizaki, who won the gold medal in women’s under 55 kg, said: “I thank Peru for the heart of fans and the fraternal welcome that makes us feel at home.”

Her fellow compatriot Douglas Brose, silver in men’s Kumite under 60 kg, said: “I’m impressed by the Lima 2019 organization level. The fact that Peru has been able to organize this event proves that with perseverance and will everything can be achieved in life, and that’s a valuable example for an athlete.”

On the other hand, Colombian athlete Carlos Sanmartín, who claimed the silver medal in the men's 3000 m steeplechase event, highlighted that it was the first time he participates in the Pan American Games and has lived “an amazing experience, Peruvian culture is awesome, especially the food and the hospitality of the people.”

Athletes also highlighted how the organization achieved a cultural atmosphere for the fraternal development of this multi-sports event, where no foreign felt outsider, as Peruvian fans reminded them in each event of Lima 2019 that they were also at home, so let’s all play!

After the successful organization of Lima 2019, Peru consolidates, on the one hand, as the heart of the sports in the Americas; and on the other, as a fraternity space where the diverse cultures of the Americas gather, represented by their athletes following the Olympic values.