Medalist from the Pan American and Parapan American Games, the ones who left everything on the field to give us more than one joy, received an award from the Mayor of Lima, Jorge Muñoz, in the presence of the President of Peru, Martín Vizcarra. 

Once the ceremony was over, one of them had to take the floor and the responsible was the Parapan American Para badminton champion, who excitedly stated: “I want to thank you for this moment, as it will help us to move forward.”  

Pilar pointed out that the opinion towards the Para athletes has changed a lot thanks to the Games. “Lima 2019 has given us many opportunities, not only in terms of sports but also socially, as these Games have allowed our country to continue growing with respect, values and to become a more inclusive society.”  

Lima 2019 Ambassador said that the Games allowed the athletes and Para athletes to fulfill their dreams of being champions. “Lima 2019 is not over, this has just began, because in terms of sports, society and education, we have to move forward,” she added.   

The following Parapan American medalists were also present in the ceremony: Pedro Pablo de Vinatea, Angélica Espinoza, Rosbil Guillén, Jorge Arcela, Carlos Felipa, William Fernández, Jesús Salvá and Fred Villalobos.  

Likewise, the following Pan American medalists also attended this celebration: John Trebejo, Carlos Lam, Natalia Cuglievan, Alonso Wong, María Fernanda Reyes, Marcela Castillo, Leodan Pezo, José María Lúcar, Yuliana Bolívar, Sol Romaní, Saida Salcedo, Mallory Aco, Ariana Vera, Renzo Saux, Marko Carrillo, Nicolás Pacheco, Luis Bardelez, Thalía Mallqui, Nathaly Paredes, Mía Rodríguez, Itzel Delgado, and Hugo del Castillo, who was represented by his father.  

In this meeting—attended by the President of the National Paralympic Association of Peru, Luisa Villar, and the International Olympic Committee representative, Iván Dibós—the President of the Lima 2019 Games Organizing Committee, Carlos Neuhaus, also received an award.  

Thus, a fair recognition was given to our athletes and Para athletes, who heightened Peru’s name at Lima 2019.

The last day of the Parapan American Games gave us one of the most vibrant Para badminton S6 finals between the Brazilian Tavares and the American Krajweski.

The gold went to Vitor Tavares, who had recently claimed three bronze medals at the Para-Badminton World Championships. Before moving to the final and claiming the gold, Tavares had defeated 2-0 the Peruvian Jesús Salvá, who ended up collecting the bronze.

“It was a very important competition for me because I wanted to obtain the gold medal,” he said.

Miles Krajewski from the USA also received a round of applause from the spectators on the stands, including the President of Peru, Martín Vizcarra, who was accompanied by Carlos Neuhaus, president of the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee.

“I liked this competition. Vitor is a great player and won the game fairly,” said the American.

At age 14, Miles Krajewski became one of the youngest Para athletes in the Games and proved he is a promising talent in this category. Krajewski came to Lima 2019 with the mission of winning the gold medal and obtain a ticket for Tokyo 2020.  

Brazil is unstoppable. After the gold medal obtained yesterday in football 5-a-side, Brazil picked another gold in football 7-a-side today after an exciting and vibrant final held at the Villa María del Triunfo Sports Center.

Although Argentina scored the first goal, the first-half finished with a tie 1-1. Brazil stepped up its game in the second-half and, goal after goal, ended up winning with a score of 5-3.

The stars of the match were the Brazilian midfielders Ubirajara Da Silva, who scored three goals, and Evandro de Oliveira, who scored two. The defenders Pablo Molina and Rodrigo Lucía, as well as the midfielder Nicola Billordo, scored the goals for the Argentinian team.

In the stands, the spectators were also engaged in another competition. Chanting and screaming, the fanbases of both teams never stopped cheering on their favorite, even more so when they scored a goal.

On the other hand, in a match held hours before, the United States dismissed 7-0 Venezuela, taking home the gold medal.

It is worth mentioning that football 7-a-side is a sport adapted for athletes with cerebral palsy and/or traumatic brain injuries, and it follows the rules established by FIFA. This game is played on a reduced field, and teams are made up of seven players, including the goalkeeper. There is no “offside” rule, and throw-ins or rolling the ball back onto the field of play are allowed.