Muchos momentos quedarán en nuestros recuerdos, comenzando el 22 de agosto, cuando comenzaron las competiciones de los Juegos Parapanamericanos Lima 2019 . Un total de 1890 atletas para para de 30 países que nos visitaron en Lima 2019 nos dieron hermosos momentos de victoria y pérdida; Permanecerán para siempre en los recuerdos de todos.

1. La chilena Tamara Leonelli ganó la primera medalla de oro en Lima 2019 en el segundo día de competencia y se convirtió en la primera en clasificarse para los Juegos Paralímpicos de Tokio 2020.
2. El Estadio Nacional estuvo abarrotado durante la Ceremonia de Apertura de los Juegos Parapanamericanos de Lima 2019, que impresionó a todos con la inclusión emocional de las personas con discapacidad en el espectáculo. El campeón paralímpico peruano Jimmy Eulert fue elegido para encender el caldero.
3. La para atleta Rosbil Guillén ganó la primera medalla de oro para Perú en la clase T11 de 1500 metros. Con esta victoria, el atleta Para de Huancayo se vengó, ya que días antes había perdido la medalla de oro en los 5000 metros después de ser descalificado por separarse de su guía en la línea de meta.
4. Perú alcanzó un número histórico de medallas de oro en los Juegos Parapanamericanos con las victorias de Pedro Pablo de Vinatea y Pilar Jáuregui en el bádminton Para. Para ciclista Israel Hilario y la atleta de Para taekwondo Angélica Espinoza también encabezaron el podio para un total de cinco medallas de oro. Además, Perú reclamó tres medallas de plata y siete de bronce, lo que representa un total de 15 medallas.
5. Brasil encabezó la mesa final de medallas por cuarta vez consecutiva en los Juegos Parapanamericanos. Con la mayor delegación en su historia, Brasil también superó el mayor número de medallas en un solo evento continental: 124 de oro y 308 en total. Un récord impresionante.
6. México, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador y Colombia también superaron sus mejores actuaciones en la historia de los Juegos Parapanamericanos.
7. El judoca mexicano Eduardo Ávila entró en la historia del deporte en su país después de ganar su cuarto título parapanamericano consecutivo. Con sus dos medallas de oro en los Juegos Paralímpicos de Beijing 2008 y Río 2016, y otros dos títulos mundiales, es considerado como uno de los judokas más exitosos de América.
8. La para atleta brasileña Verónica Hipólito es el mejor ejemplo de que todo es posible en la vida. Después de superar dos cirugías en la cabeza que la dejaron en cama durante dos años, llegó al último lugar de la cuota unos días antes del inicio de Lima 2019. Los médicos le dieron pocas oportunidades de competir nuevamente y ganar medallas, ya que asumieron que esto era poco probable . Sin embargo, ganó tres medallas de plata y todo el continente estaba encantado con su historia de superación personal.
9. Después de ganar el evento de estilo libre de 50 metros, la nadadora de Para, Joana Silva, rompió a llorar en el podio. Meses antes, había perdido a su padre y estaba a punto de abandonar esta disciplina. Sin embargo, ella se recuperó, prometiéndole a su difunto padre que haría lo mejor que pudiera, y así sucedió: ganó seis medallas en Lima 2019, un total de 15 desde su debut en los Juegos Parapanamericanos de Guadalajara 2011.
10. Las gemelas brasileñas Debora y Beatriz Carneiro fueron una curiosidad en los Juegos. Han estado entrenando juntos desde que eran niños y, cuando compiten entre ellos, siempre comparten los títulos. En Lima 2019, obtuvieron el primer y segundo lugar en los eventos de braza de 100m y de popurrí individual de 200m. Por supuesto, Debora ganó el primer evento y Beatriz el segundo, para mantener la tradición.
11. Brasil ganó en el fútbol 5, un deporte para personas con discapacidad visual, alcanzando la gloria de los Juegos Parapanamericanos por cuarta vez en el Centro Deportivo Villa María del Triunfo. Los cinco veces campeones mundiales derrotaron a Argentina por 2-0 en la final, con las estrellas Jefinho y Cassio anotando los goles ganadores.
12. El equipo brasileño de fútbol 7, compuesto por personas con parálisis cerebral, también se llevó la medalla de oro después de derrotar a Argentina. Con esta victoria, los "canarinhos" aseguraron su tercer título en la competencia, después de ganar en Río 2007 y Toronto 2015.
13. En el juego más emotivo de Lima 2019, Canadá venció a Estados Unidos en la final de baloncesto femenino en silla de ruedas. El equipo femenino canadiense ganó el partido por una diferencia de tres puntos, pero este juego apretado se fue al grano, ya que los estadounidenses estaban en posesión de la pelota en la última jugada. Tenían ocho segundos para jugar, pero perdieron su última oportunidad de igualar y forzar un período de tiempo extra. Así es el deporte: no hay ganadores hasta que termine la competencia.
14. Con más de 170,000 espectadores, Lima 2019 batió un récord de asistencia a los Juegos Parapanamericanos. Además de este hito, Lima 2019 fue considerada la competencia multideportiva mejor organizada en la historia parapanamericana, así como el evento con el sistema de transporte más accesible en todas las ediciones de los Juegos.
15. El penúltimo día de la competencia Para Badminton se jugó en un ambiente deportivo emocional, lleno de fanáticos peruanos en el Centro Deportivo 2 de VIDENA, incluida la base oficial de fanáticos de Perú, "La Blanquirroja". El mismo día en que Pedro Pablo de Vinatea reclamó oro para Perú, el guatemalteco Raúl Anguiano hizo historia para su país después de ganar su primera y única medalla de oro en seis ediciones de los Juegos Parapanamericanos.

A big party was held this afternoon at the Villa María del Triunfo Sports Center, where Brazil defeated Argentina and win the gold medal in the hard-fought final match of football-5-a-side, an adaptation of football for people with a vision impairment.

The Brazilians scored the first goal during the first half and, despite the multiple attempts of both teams, the scoreboard did not change before the halftime interval. The public filled the sports center and was impressed by the skills of these Para athletes and their attempts to score a goal.

During the halftime interval, the Lima 2019 Games official mascot Milco and volunteers invited everyone to stand up, including Argentinian and Brazilian fans, to dance to the rhythm of “Cariñito,” among other songs.

In the second half and after six accumulated fouls of the Argentinian team, a penalty kick was awarded for the Brazilian team, who scored the second goal. The final score was 2-0.

With the “Brazil champion” chants, the “carioca” team approached the grandstand area after the match to thank the fans, sing together and celebrate the victory.

Tamiris Francis, wife of number 9 player Tiago Silva of the Brazilian football-5-a-side team, said the team deserves this victory because they are really focused and very dedicated. “Being here makes me very happy, and I get excited because I’ve been following them and they’re the best,” she added.

Previously, Mexico overcame Colombia 1-0 and picked up the bronze medal.

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.

On the eighth day of competition at Lima 2019, the Peruvian football 5-a-side team will seek to defeat Brazil in the first round of this exciting Para sport that has captivated all fans.

Everyone is invited to the Villa Maria del Triunfo Sports Center at 17:30 to cheer on the national team. In this venue will also compete the Mexican, Costa Rican, Argentinian and Colombian teams starting at 15:00.

In football 7-a-side, Peru will also open the competition day with a remarkable match against the United States at 09:30 at the Villa María del Triunfo Sports Center. The delegations of Colombia, Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela will also compete on this date.

The women’s national goalball team will also go for victory against Costa Rica at 16:15 at the Miguel Grau Coliseum in Callao. Also, the teams from Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil and the United States will face off starting at 12:30.

On the other hand, at the National Sports Village, starting at 11:00, the most outstanding Para weightlifters from the Americas will aspire to immortalize their names with the gold medal in the challenging Para powerlifting events of -49 kg, -41 kg, -45 kg, -50 kg, -55 kg, and -54 kg, in the men's and women's categories. Peruvian Diego Quispe will be one of the main figures in the -54 kg competition.

Also, at the VIDENA Aquatic Center, two Para swimming sessions will begin at 09:00 and 17:00, respectively. The winners of the gold, bronze and silver medals will be defined in the strenuous 200m individual medley, 400m freestyle, 50m butterfly and 100m backstroke events, among others.

Also, in wheelchair tennis, the most outstanding Para tennis players of the Americas, including the world’s number one Gustavo Fernandez from Argentina, will compete for the gold medal in the quad singles and doubles, men's and women's modality, at the Lawn Tennis Club at 11:00.

Last but not least, the more outstanding Para athletes in the Americas will seek to pass to the next stage in the wheelchair basketball competition. Boccia and Para badminton events will also be held on this date at the Villa El Salvador Sports Center and VIDENA Sports Center 3, respectively, venues that were specifically built for Lima 2019. For more information about the dates and venues, please visit https://www.lima2019.pe/resultados.

Like during the first match that took place in the Villa María del Triunfo Sports Center, the fans were the life of the party as they cheered from the stands with each of Brayan Bartolo’s feints and when Rony Estrada daringly faced the Argentinian forwards, however, they were unable to secure the match and lost 3 to 0. 

The Argentinian team showed better control when handling the ball and quickly took the lead in the scoreboard; five minutes into the match, defender Maximiliano Espinillo scored the first goal with a powerful cross shot. 

Despite this goal, the Peruvian team fought for every ball on midfield and used everything at their disposal to search for a tie, but the good defensive position of the Argentinian team made each attack futile.  

After a recovery by the defense and a quick transition to an attack, Espinillo scored the second goal for Argentina. Halftime started with the score 2-0 and the spectators cheered on the Peruvian team to the beat of “Cariñito” while they recovered for the second half. 

As soon as the second half started, the Peruvian team tried to score a goal, nevertheless, striker Nicolás Vélez scored the third goal for Argentina seven minutes into the second half, deciding the match. 

Despite this, the audience never stopped cheering and, after the match, they gave the Peruvian team a standing ovation for their effort and the grit they put into each play. 

Brazil undefeated in football 5-a-side 

In the first match of this competition day, the Brazilian team beat the Mexican team 3 to 0, with three goals from striker Ricardo Steinmtez. With this result, Brazil’s team remains undefeated in this sport. 

The next match will be on Wednesday, August 28, when Peru plays Colombia at 20:00. Earlier that day, Argentina will play Costa Rica and the Brazil versus Costa Rica match will follow.

After the football 5-a-side match between Peru and Costa Rica, their faces showed the excitement and joy of having experienced, from the stand of Villa María del Triunfo Sports Center, the Peruvian team’s 1-0 win against the Central American team, with a goal from Brayan Bartolo 36 minutes into the match.

The children of the Institución Educativa Nº 6056 Santa Rosa of Villa María del Triunfo showed how happy they were of being a part of the most important multi-sports event in the continent.

The students arrived at the Parapan American Games venue at around 15:00 and were able to enter thanks to the over 35 thousand tickets that were distributed to 57 schools of Metropolitan Lima and Callao, so that they may enjoy the different sports disciplines being contested at the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games.

The goal of this initiative developed by the Organizing Committee is for young students to live this experience and learn Paralympic values, such as respect, determination and courage, so that they become a part of their daily lives.

María Esther Correa Vilca, general coordinator of the school’s primary education, said that she thinks it is wonderful that the students can experience this type of competition up close, that they can appreciate and admire the effort and perseverance of the Para athletes, as well as understand that there are no limits to reach their goals.

“Lima 2019 is a great opportunity for personal development and growth, and for values like friendship, solidarity and hospitality to be included in their education. Today, these kids are motivated because they have not only learnt that we can organize an event of this magnitude, but also that it is possible to win a medal for our country. These are priceless lessons for their future,” she emphasized. 

Correa added that, for example, during daily classes, the students have that excitement that they brought back with them from the Pan American and Parapan American Games. During classes, as part of the learning process, they include the topic of sports, as well as statistics and information about the delegations that arrived to compete in Peru, among other subjects.

She also highlighted that these Games will leave sports infrastructure that will enable young people and students from Peru to practice sports that they did not know about before: “we mustn't only focus on football and volleyball; there are other disciplines that can be developed. Today, these kids tell me that they’re going to win a medal for Peru when they’re older, and that’s the best legacy of Lima 2019: building citizens that know they can be winners too,” she concluded.

Fans were delighted at first glance and recognized the effort of “Los Chasquis” in the two-hour match against Mexico. Although the football 5-a-side team did not make an auspicious debut at the Parapan American Games, they won the affection of over one thousand attendees at the Villa María del Triunfo Sports Center.

The five Peruvian players gave an example of talent, demonstrating that their passion for the most popular sport in the world transcends any visual impairment. Rony Estrada’s courage to dispute every ball and Brayan Bartolo’s skills, who was about to break the nets and stop the good performance of the goalkeeper José Bolívar, were the most applauded players, in a cold night in Villa María del Triunfo.

The match ended 1-0 for the “Aztecs” and was defined in the last two minutes, when the referee awarded the Mexicans a penalty shot after an infringement committed in the Peruvian area. The Mexican captain, Rubicel De la Cruz, scored the goal from a shot after the penalty kick, even though equality would have been the fairest result.

“We played a good match tactically and physically. Although we put up a fight against a team that reached the podium in the last Copa América, we couldn’t score any goal. However, the boys are moved by the affection of the people and that motivates us to move forward,” said coach Felipe Ramírez.

THE SHOW GOES ON

Colombia gave us the surprise this day, in a 0-0 tie against heavy favorite Brazil, the three-time Olympic and Parapan American champions. The entire match was tight from start to finish. Meanwhile, Argentina’s “Los Murciélagos” defeated Costa Rica 2-0, in a clear victory.

The second matchday begins tomorrow with the classic South American derby between Brazil and Argentina at 15:00. Meanwhile, Colombia vs. Mexico at 17:30. It is played in a round-robin format, while the top two teams compete for the gold medal, on August 30.

CHEER ON THE ATHLETES FROM THE GRANDSTANDS

If you want to enjoy this impressive show, tickets are available at ticket offices of the Villa María del Triunfo Sports Center and at the 11 authorized points of sale around the city. There will be a 50% discount for children under 18, senior citizens and people with an impairment.

Tickets can be also purchased online through lima2019.pe/tickets, where you will also find the 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.

One of the most captivating sports competitions of Lima 2019 will begin on Saturday. The six best teams of football 5-a-side in the Americas will compete for the long-waited gold on the hockey field at the Villa Maria del Triunfo Sports Center. Football 5-a-side is an adaptation of football and is played on a court of 40 x 20 meters, and the ball is equipped with a noise-making device. The players will wear eyeshades, except for the goalkeeper, who is fully sighted.

The Peruvian national team, led by Felipe Ramírez, make their debut against Mexico at 20:00 in Villa María del Triunfo.  The opponent team has just placed third at the Copa América, which took place in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The competition day begins with the match between “Los Murciélagos” from Argentina and Costa Rica at 15:00, while Colombia faces Brazil, three-time Parapan American champion and five-time Olympic champion, at 17:30. There will be a round-robin format and the two best teams will compete for the gold medal on August 30.

If you want to see these great Para athletes in action, buy your tickets at the 11 authorized points of sale, located in different districts of the city. There will be a 50% discount for children under 18, senior citizens and people with an impairment.

Tickets can be also purchased online through lima2019.pe/tickets, where you will also find the 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.

ABOUT LIMA 2019

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. Additionally, 13 Para sports will be qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Peru will be represented by 139 Para athletes, the largest number in this type of continental competitions. Peru will take part in 16 sports, including sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball as the ones with the largest number of competitors: 24 each (12 in women’s team and 12 in men’s team).

When you play football with the heart, there is no visual impairment that can stop your feet from kicking the ball. That overwhelming passion for the most popular sport is what allows us to see five men fighting for a ball that has bells inside while wearing eyeshades in an adapted field of 40 x 20 meters. This marvelous performance will be seen at Lima 2019, starting this Saturday, August 24, in the hockey field of the Villa María del Triunfo Sports Center. 

Peru will be represented by an enthusiastic group that has been working for the past two years, led by their coach Felipe Ramírez. The ten selected Para athletes want to prove that they are playing at home, showing how Peruvian football is played. In fact, the last few months, they trained with the teams of Alianza Lima, Universitario and Cristal, which impressed the professional players. 

“These experiences have helped us a lot, but mostly they helped us to show the conventional football players that we share the same passion for this sport. Professional players such as Jorge Cazulo, Carlos Lobatón, Pablo Lavandeira, Wilder Cartagena, and Joa Arroé were amazed with the experience of playing blindfolded and encouraged us to do our best at the Games,” stated Juan Pablo Torres, member of the ‘Blanquirroja’. 

Peru will face off the six best teams of the continent, of which Brazil and Argentina are among the most awarded in the world. The journey begins this Saturday (20:00) against Mexico in Villa María del Triunfo. The Aztecs placed third in the Copa América of Football 5-a-side and have 15 years training with the same coaching staff. They are, without a doubt, a strong opponent. 

The matches between Argentina and Costa Rica, and Colombia against Brazil—the three-time Parapan American champion—will be held on the same day at 17:00 and 17:30, respectively. If you want to witness this great Para athletes, buy your tickets at lima2019.pe/tickets and in any of the 11 authorized centers across the city. 

ABOUT LIMA 2019 

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. Additionally, 13 Para sports will be qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. 

Peru will be represented by 139 Para athletes, the biggest amount for this type of continental competitions. In addition, we will participate in 16 disciplines, with sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball being the ones with the highest number of competitors, with 24 each (12 for the women’s team and the same amount for the men’s team).