He always had a solid dream: to see a venue crowded with fans supporting the Peruvian athletes and Lima 2019 gave him the chance to make it possible. “Para badminton for everybody” was his ideal years ago and he saw it at the VIDENA Sports Center 2 this afternoon. On the court 1, he qualified to the final in the SL3 class (Para athletes with little balance), while his partner Pilar Jáuregui also took the victory.

The Lima 2019 Ambassador had to push himself to the limit to defeat the Cuban Rolando Bello in two sets (21-14 and 21-15), in a match of highest physical effort that lasted more than 43 minutes. At the end of the match, De Vinatea asked for a round of applause for his opponent, who has been competing with him for several years in the professional circuit.

“I’m very proud to see this audience enjoying Para badminton, which is one of the first sports that evolved strongly in Peru. That’s why we’ve come to Lima 2019 with 5 years of preparation and seasoned players who reach the final stages. The support received before is now yielding results,” he said.

Pedro Pablo will compete for the gold medal against the winner of the match between Brazilian Leonardo Zuffo and Canadian William Roussy. At 15 and 21 years old, respectively, both are the new best Para badminton players in the Americas, with medals in Pan American tournaments. The competition is tomorrow at 15:00.

“I’ll face the final with the same mentality: so focused, without pressure, and fighting point by point, countering the strengths of my opponent. Surely, there will be a similar environment and with the people’s support we will try to win the gold medal,” added the Lima 2019 Ambassador.

The Peruvian Para badminton athlete and Lima 2019 Ambassador, Pilar Jáuregui, qualified to the women’s finals for the WH2 category, after beating the Cuban Maydelin Soriano 21-0 and 21-1.

This morning Pilar Jáuregui had already defeated the same opponent during Group A preliminary rounds, 21-1 and 21-7, after only 17 minutes. The Peruvian Para athlete said in an interview with Lima 2019 that after semifinals, she has taken another step towards winning the gold medal in Peru.

“I am very excited because my family and friends were here, along with ‘La Blanquirroja’ at every game. I am so thankful because they play an important part in pressuring the opponent,” she said.

PERUVIAN CELEBRATION

“La Blanquirroja” and many fans came together to the Sports Center 3 of the National Sports Village (VIDENA) in San Luis to cheer loudly for the different Peruvian athletes competing that day.

This is the case of Héctor Salvá, who never stopped receiving cheers from the stands, despite losing to Brazil’s Tavares during preliminary and semifinal rounds.  The same happened before with the Peruvian pair, Robert Fajardo and Ronald Miranda, who gave their all, but lost to the Brazilian pair, Cano and Soares, 21-8 and 21-13 in favor of Brazil.

Something similar happened to our Peruvian Alberto Cadenillas, who also lost to Brazil’s Cavali (21-10 and 21-4). Finally, Pablo Cueto and Jenny Ventocilla in mixed doubles lost to Brazil’s Almeida and Rosso, with scores of 21-19 and 21-18, in a 32-minute game.

Today’s session was historic for American Para powerlifting. From the stands of Sport Center 2 at VIDENA, an amazed crowd could see how the Chilean Juan Carlos Garrido, number one in the ranking, broke his own record and as well the Parapan American record, the same one that he set in Toronto 2015, with 175kg.

This time, the athlete from Antofagasta, who recently won bronze in the World Championship of Para powerlifting in at Kazajistan, lifted 185 kg and picked up the gold medal in Para powerlifting, under-the 59kg category.

With three first successful lifts, Garrido tried to improve his mark by lifting 187 kg, he did not make it though. Brazilian Junior de Franca claimed his first medal in Para powerlifting. 

There’s a considerable difference from his opponents in the medal table, the Brazilian Luciano Bezerra (silver) and the Venezuelan Carlos Betancourt (bronze); whose marks were 151 kg and 150 kg respectively.

Culturaymi, the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games cultural program closes its doors this Saturday, August 31, with wide range of activities you cannot miss. The popular female orchestra Son Tentación are the closing act for the celebration and thousands of people are expected to attend the show.

Orquestando Big Orquestra (Minedu) performance will be held from 18:30 at the Fun Fest Auditorium. At 20:15, the outstanding theater group Yuyachkani will perform one of their most popular acts: The Arts

The female salsa group Son Tentacion will end the show with an awaited concert that promises to be full of people who want to see all the group members and listen to their songs. It is absolutely free.

On other big Culturaymi stage, el Morisco, there will be performances of Caoba (19:00), Nijah Breda with Ysabel Omega (20:25), Ray Callao (19:50) and La Sonora Patronal (23:20).

Special Olympics will present Rebeca Mari Suárez, a 18-year-old girl with Down syndrome who will delight us with her voice in the Culturaymi Auditorium at 15:00. Later that day, at 19:30, there will be a sensory theater play named “Carga Visual: Episodios Escénicos”, aimed at people with visual impairment.

Other activities for children will be held at the Lima Art Museum (MALI), with the workshop: “Make a Milco comic poster” at 14:00; in addition, the theater play called “Sirenas y Pescadores” will be performed at 16:00 

The enthusiastic and colorful parades will be noticed at Plaza de las Banderas (Fuente China) with Uku Pacha, Pasacalle Diablada and Pasacalle from the Asociación Central Folclórica Puno from 16:00, to celebrate with joy the success of this cultural event that offered a program never seen before in Lima.

Art, theater, music, literature, dance, gastronomy, crafts, public service and much more were showcased these days where people enjoyed and relaxed, alongside the Pan American and Parapan American Games. 

Additionally, the different concerts held at Culturaymi have been performed on stages with large screens, multi-colored lights and flawless sound. It was a great opportunity for families to have fun, for free and in an accessible site. This was an unforgettable moment for the ones that could enjoy such a variety of options.

Grand finale Around 5 000 people will attend the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games Closing Ceremony to be held on Sunday, September 1, at 19:00 at the Athletics Stadium in VIDENA (National Sports Village) in San Luis. The main show will have the participation of We The Lion, Laguna Pai, Eva Ayllón and Hermanos Yaipen.

Tickets for this ceremony are already sold out, so no tickets are for sale. Spectators must show their ID and ticket, including minors and senior citizens.

Because of the great attendance expected, the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee (COPAL) and the Peruvian National Police (PNP) have taken all the necessary security measures and provided recommendations to spectators, one of them is about public transportation:

Before leaving your home:

• Remember that you must enter the Athletics Stadium through Gate 10 located at Av. Canadá.
• The venue will open at 17:00.
• The ceremony will start at 19:00 and will last approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes.
• Seats are not numbered.
• All minors under the age of 18 must have an entry ticket and be accompanied by an adult.

Do not bring:

• Plastic or glass bottles.
• Banners, bicycles, scooters, weapons, aerosols, alcoholic beverages or unprocessed food.
• Pets
• Only packaged products with sanitary registration will be allowed. To get to the Athletics Stadium, use the public transportation available in Lima.
• Do not come with particular vehicles.

Road Closures

Av. Canadá, Av. San Luis and Av. Del Aire will be partially closed, at all times.

NOTE: The Athletics Stadium is prepared to receive spectators with an impairment who need to attend in wheelchairs. It has more than 50 spaces to facilitate their movement.

Para badminton is a sport with a great participation of the Peruvian delegation in Lima 2019 Parapan American Games, because two Peruvian badminton players qualified to the semifinals in their respective categories.

This is the case of Pedro Pablo de Vinatea and Pilar Jauregui, who passed undefeated to this decisive stage of the competition in categories SL3 and WH2, respectively.  De Vinatea beat Cuban Rolando Bello in 36 minutes by 21-11 and 21-13 and will look to qualify to the final when he faces him again at 15:00.

Jauregui beat also Cuban Maydelin Soriano, in group A, with a score of 21-1 and 21-7 in just 17 minutes.  Now, she will seek to beat Soriano again.

PERUVIAN DAY

The Peruvian fanbase “La Blanquirroja” and many fans who gathered at the Sports Center 3 of the National Sports Village (VIDENA) in San Luis and cheered for the different Peruvian representatives playing today.

Héctor Salva despite losing to Brazilian Tavares by 21-7 and 21-6, never stopped receiving signs of support from the stands. The same thing happened with the Peruvian couple formed by Robert Fajardo and Ronald Miranda, who, after a great match, lost to the Brazilian duo formed by Cano and Soares 21-8 and 21-13.

The same happened to Peruvian Alberto Cadenillas, who lost to the Brazilian Cavalli (21-10 and 21-4). Pablo Cueto and Jenny Ventocilla in doubles faced up to the situation and fought until the end against Almeida and Rosso of Brazil. The game was very even, however, the Peruvian couple lost by (21-9 and 21-18).

They are Para athletes, examples of self-improvement, and share the responsibility of being Lima 2019 Ambassadors. Their mission is to promote sports, Olympic and Paralympic values.

Dunia Felices, Pedro Pablo de Vinatea, Israel Hilario and Pilar Jáuregui embody the Pan American and Parapan American Games values, such as excellency, friendship, respect, courage, determination, equality and inspiration. 

The four ambassadors continue filling us with emotion and today they will be participating in their disciplines and earning more victories for Peru. Dunia Felices will compete today in 200 m freestyle at the Aquatic Center of the National Sports Village (VIDENA). Pedro Pablo de Vinatea and Pilar Jáuregui will continue competing in Para badminton, collecting more medals for Peru; while Israel Hilario took the victory in Para cycling road today in the Costa Verde beach circuit.

The Organizing Committee of the Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games (COPAL) developed the Ambassadors Program to promote the sports, Olympic and/or Paralympic values through outstanding athletes and Para athletes and different communication platforms.

But, who are these outstanding athletes? Get to know them a little more:

Dunia Felices

Dunia Felices was appointed as Lima 2019 Ambassador because she is the best example of a hard-working athlete. She never gave up and, thanks to that, has achieved all her objectives since the beginning of her sports career.

The Peruvian Para swimmer won the silver medal in August 2017 at the Medellin Para Swimming Open in Colombia.  Dunia, who was born in Sarhua, Ayacucho, set a time of 1.44.39 in 50 meters butterfly.

She also claimed three gold medals at the Barranquilla 2018 Paralympic Open in 50 m and 100 m freestyle, and 50 m butterfly.

At the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games, she won a bronze medal thanks to her outstanding participation in the women's 50 m butterfly final round, category S5 (S1-S4).

Pedro Pablo de Vinatea

This Lima 2019 Ambassador is a good example of dedication and strength. Badminton has always been his passion: after losing one of his lower extremities, he continued practicing this sport until he became an excellent athlete.

Pedro Pablo worked hard and won the gold medal at the 2014 II Athletics & Swimming Open Championships held in Medellin in 2014 (Colombia).

The Peruvian Pedro Pablo de Vinatea made a great debut at the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games, after beating 2-0 Brazilian Roso in the Para badminton competition.

Israel Hilario

Israel is a great Peruvian Para cyclist, whose goal was always to keep going and break down barriers. It is an example of life. After losing his leg in a motorcycle accident, he decided to continue pursuing his goals.

Hilario claimed the Para cycling world title and was crowned as the best cyclist at the World Cup, both events organized by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the highest cycling organization in the world.

His last competition was at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, where he carried the Peruvian flag. In this event, he placed sixth.

Pilar Jáuregui

For Pilar, there were never any limits. She tried out different sports such as volleyball, surfing, basketball, tennis and badminton until she was 14 when she was affected by an illness.

Since that moment, everything changed for the better because badminton allowed her to bring out her ability and passion for sports.

She was recognized as the best Para athlete of 2018 by the the Americas Paralympic Committee and won three gold medals at the Pan Am Para-Badminton Championships 2018 in singles, doubles and mixed doubles.

They are worthy ambassadors, with great social and human sensitivity, recognized for their great achievements, who seek to live in a society based on the values of sport and respect.

They will stay true to the Peruvian flag in the different competitions in which they participate at Peruvian and international levels. They will always be an example of effort and dedication for new athletes.

It is worth mentioning that a total of 1890 Para athletes from 33 countries will be in Lima until Sunday, September 1, competing in 17 sports and 18 disciplines at the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games. This event also provides a direct ticket for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

At the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games, Pilar Jáuregui made her debut with an important 2-0 victory over American Amy Burnett (21-4, 21-0). This is her first Group A match in the WH2 category (wheelchair).

Athletes from the football 5-a-side team said goodbye to the Parapan American Games with the support of Peruvian fans, who are called the “the best fanbase in the world” for good reason, because they never stopped rooting for the national team in every match in spite of some bad scores.

Yesterday, Peru lost 5-1 to Brazil, current world champion and Paralympic champion, and the team said goodbye to the competition. However, they received and standing ovation after the match for all their dedication and effort in the Parapan American Games.

While they were all together singing our second anthem “Contigo Perú” at Villa María del Triunfo, the athletes said goodbye and showed their gratitude for all the support they received during competition days. Likewise, after the match, many fans wanted to take selfies with the athletes.

The Peruvian fans pointed out that, despite losing some matches, they have gained a lot of experience and that will be useful in upcoming competitions. “Now, Peruvians know more about this sport and will always support us,” said a Peruvian Para athlete.

Today at 14:30 Mexico and Colombia will compete for the bronze medal and at 17:30 Brazil and Argentina will fight for the gold.

We should remember football 5-a-side is a discipline adapted for people with visual impairment and it uses a ball that makes noise. Each team consists of four people with low visual acuity and/or who do not perceive light, plus a goalkeeper without a visual impairment.

The last meters of the race were shocking. Laura Galván sped with all her strength in order to leave Jessica Marie O´Connell behind and win the gold medal. 

At the age of 27, the Mexican athlete, born in Guanajuato, was only five seconds away from the Pan American record to give Mexico a new god medal at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games. “I trained really hard and the strategy was to endure and resist, and that’s how things happened,” stated Galván. 

The atmosphere—cold due to the weather—turned warm thanks to the continuous cheers of the audience at the Athletics Stadium of the VIDENA. “There was a lot of emotion and encouragement to Peruvian athletes, but I avoided the distraction and focused on the race,” stated the Mexican athlete.  

Her nails were decorated with the Mexican flag and she showed them smiling along with her gold medal, “I got my nails done in Mexico before coming, the flags are a way to represent my country and be able to win the medal,” emphasized Galván, who also added that the ceramic Milco “is a beautiful present, typical from here and it’s a proof that the Games are spectacular.” Did you know that Virgin Islands won her first won medal at the Lima 2019 Games?  

Peruvian Saida Meneses broke her own mark and established a new South American record in the under-23 category with a time of 15.47.16. “I learned that I must use another type of strategy when facing incredible runners. Even though I broke my record, I was left with the desire to win the medal. However, I know more opportunities will come,” stated the Peruvian athlete. 

The Club Lawn Tennis de la Exposición was the stage of the tennis competitions. Juan Pablo Varillas won two times in a row and now he will compete for the gold. He booked a place in the singles quarterfinals and then got into the men’s doubles semifinals, along with Sergio Galdós. 

Fans cheered on them from the grandstands of the main stadium at all times. This helped Varillas and Galdós beat their Brazilian opponents after a bad start. Tomorrow, they will face Facundo Banis and Guido Andreozzi from Argentina. Additionally, Varillas will compete against Marcelo Barrios from Chile in singles. 

“Fans were really excited for the matches. They cheered on us in every set and encouraged us when we nearly fell. That helped us bounce back in the second doubles set. We were playing as locals. I’m really happy with these two victories, and I trust Sergio (Galdós) and I can win the next match. We’ll play with no expectations. We’ll see how the game goes on the field,” he added. 

Meanwhile, the doubles player Sergio Galdós said they work well together. “All doubles pairs have worked hard to make it to this stage. We’re playing against the best doubles players, so we’ll give our best to get a medal for our sport,” he said. 

Moreover, the Peruvian coach Américo “Tupi” Venero mentioned he wanted to share with them the experience of playing with a positive environment. “None of these kids has ever played at a packed stadium and tomorrow we’ll have more spectators at the Lawn Tennis. It’s important that they are not only physically but also mentally strong. We’re leveling up. So, the people’s support makes me feel relieved. 

TENNIS AT LIMA 2019 

Tennis competitions will be held at the stadium of the Lawn Tennis Club, until August 4. This game is played in singles and doubles, in men’s and women’s category, and in mixed doubles. A total of 80 tennis players, both male and female, from 16 countries will participate in the Games, competing in a knock-out format. 

There will be six stages in men’s singles, starting with a round of 64, and five stages in both women’s singles and men's doubles, starting with a round of 32. Meanwhile, athletes will start competing in a round of 16 in women’s doubles and mixed doubles. 

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