The Peruvian women’s goalball team (a Para sport especially created for persons with visual impairment) ended its first-ever participation at the Parapan American Games with a bang, claiming their first victory in the match against Costa Rica with a 7-0 score. 

The local players, led by Milagros Cotrina, showed real progress even though this Para sport is new for most of them, and they have prepared for a relatively short time as a result. Cotrina, who is only 17 years old, became the top scorer of the Peruvian team this afternoon at the Miguel Grau Coliseum in Callao by scoring four goals against Costa Rica. Milagros was also the Peruvian top scorer at the Parapan American Games with six goals (she also scored once against both Canada and Mexico). 

Another outstanding member of the Peruvian women’s goalball team in the competition, Jennifer Mamani, scored three goals in the 7-0 victory against Costa Rica. After this result, team Peru earned its first three points in the international competition, where they made their debut with great enthusiasm.  

The Peruvian goalball team was created in 2017; a year later, they achieved the third place in South America. They are currently in the fifth position at Parapan American level with an interesting future and promising players such as Milagros Cotrina. 

Erika Inuma, Nicolle Pelayo, Nicole Pérez and Diana Flores were also part of the national team. They all were eagerly supported by the fans in the Miguel Grau Coliseum of Callao, which was especially remodeled for the Lima 2019 Games.  

The semifinals will take place tomorrow, featuring the United States, Canada, Mexico and Brazil. The final match for the gold medal will be played on Saturday. All these exciting events will take place in the Miguel Grau Coliseum. 

TICKETS FOR SALE 

Watch the Americas’ best Para athletes in action at the Parapan American Games by buying your tickets, starting at PEN 10. There is a 50% discount for children under 18, senior citizens, and people with an impairment. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket offices of the sports venue and at the 11 authorized points of sale throughout the city. 

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

The Parapan American Games are in their final stage and this long weekend, which starts on August 29, will be the best chance to enjoy the last days of the event that has left a permanent mark in Peru’s sports history.

The experience of watching the competitions will, of course, be a win-win: our Para athletes will have the warm support of the public, while the public will be filled with motivation and pride when they see them triumph.

Guide for the Long Weekend

There are several Para sports that you can experience as a family, inside the impressive competition venues that, after the Games, will remain as a legacy for all Peruvians.

The competitions include the women’s wheelchair basketball semifinals, which will take place tomorrow with Canada versus Brazil and USA versus Argentina, in Sports Center 1 of VIDENA, starting at 18:30.

The boccia competition will take place during the morning session in the Villa El Salvador Sports Center, between 09:00 and 15:00. The Peruvian team will be competing thanks to Dean Tierry Acosta, Carlos Cano, María Cecilia Pancca and Javier Soto.

Boccia—an adaptation of the ancient Italian game ‘bocce’, played since the times of the Roman Empire—is just as much a sports event as it is a cultural one. Take part in these competitions from Thursday, August 29, to Sunday, September 1.

During the weekend, a good option is to cheer on Peruvian representative and flagbearer, Angélica Espinoza, in Para taekwondo (Miguel Grau Coliseum, Callao). The women’s and men’s competition, as well as the qualifiers, will take place this Friday and Saturday from 09:00 to 13:00. The medals will be decided on Friday and Saturday, starting at 15:00 until 20:00.

Another interesting option is wheelchair tennis. The defining matches will be contested starting tomorrow at Club Lawn Tennis de la Exposición, with the participation of the best tennis players in the world, such as Argentinian Gustavo Fernández. The winners will be decided between tomorrow and Friday, the final day of this Para sport.

Peruvian Support

Other Peruvians who need our support are Dunia Felices, Rodrigo Santillán and Harrison Linares, who will compete in Para swimming (VIDENA) until August 31, as well as the well-known and beloved Lima 2019 ambassadors, Pedro Pablo Vinatea and Pilar Jáuregui, who will compete in Para badminton (VIDENA) and will fight for the gold from August 29 to September 1. The competitions will take place in Sports Center 3 of VIDENA, with a good chance that our Para athletes will make it to the podium.

Another good option is goalball (Miguel Grau Coliseum, Callao), the only sport created specifically for people with a visual impairment. Support our fellow Peruvians until Saturday during two daily sessions (10:00 to 14:00 and 15:00 to 20:00). The ranking will be determined in the men’s semifinals, starting tomorrow.

Buy Your Tickets

Tickets for Lima 2019 Parapan American Games competitions can be purchased at the points of sale located in the Jockey Plaza shopping center in Santiago de Surco and 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. 

You can also get your tickets on the Lima 2019 website www.lima2019.pe or Teleticket website https://teleticket.com.pe/lima2019.

Tickets start at PEN 10 and there will be a 50% discount for people under the age of 18 and over the age of 60, as well as people with an impairment.

Additionally, if you live in one of the districts where a Lima 2019 Parapan American Games sports venue is located, you can purchase general tickets for the various competitions for only PEN 5.

All you have to do is show your DNI at the ticket booths of the venues in Callao, Villa El Salvador, Villa María del Triunfo, San Luis, San Miguel, Santiago de Surco and Jesús María.

Brazil and Guatemala were playing the last minute of the men’s goalball match. Students from General Prado from Bellavista, Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes Nº 5076 school from Callao, and Manuel Seoane school in the district of Mi Perú, were following every play closely, in absolute silence.  

They were able to enjoy the goalball match at the Miguel Grau Stadium in Callao thanks to the “Soy Lima 2019” campaign. This initiative included 31 institutions in its first stage, promoting the Olympic and Paralympic values with activities and sociocultural performances; in its second stage, it raised students' awareness of new Para sport disciplines.   

But the inspiring moment took place after this last minute: Leomon Moreno Da Silva, the world's best goalball player and scorer of the 95 goals which led Brazil to the 2018 world championship, stood up and walked onto the stands to join the musical celebration typical of Lima 2019. 

The Brazilian team, along with Moreno Da Silva, sang “Cariñito”, jumped together with the three schools’ students, took selfies with each group, and shouted out “Perú, Perú, Perú!” and “We can do it! We can do it!”, as a way to acknowledge the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games excellent organization. 

The excitement brought by this was felt throughout the Miguel Grau Coliseum, located in the district of Bellavista, Constitutional Province of Callao. Volunteers gathered together, sang and laughed with the goalball players. This sport was created for the community of persons with visual impairment to allow them to play with passion. 

Sports as a Life-changing Experience 

Teacher César Castillo Reyes, from General Prado school, highlighted that the Pan American and Parapan American Games are the most beautiful events ever held in Peru and they have raised the students' awareness of the inclusion of persons with an impairment thanks to the “Soy Lima 2019” campaign. 

For him, the most important legacy of the Games is that sports are an element of change for society. They encourage children to do sports, be focused and competitive, feel proud of representing Peru and stay busy by doing positive activities for society. 

Teacher Brigitte Palacios from Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes Nº 5076 school agreed that doing sports is important for students and that these competitions help teach them different subjects, such as Math, Science and Environment, Civics, all of them oriented to the Lima 2019 Games. 

Every move of the women’s goalball national team made the crowd at Miguel Grau Coliseum excited, and they did not stop cheering on their national team during its match against Mexico. The Mexican team was winning 10-3 this match on the third competition day in the group stage of this sport discipline, created exclusively for people with visual impairment.

As soon as the event started, the Mexican trio was going ahead in the score.  Within the first 43 seconds, Tania Jiménez scored 1-0 for the Mexican team, while the Peruvian team did its very best to control the throws. However, despite their efforts, Mexico won 4-2 the first half.

At half time, all the fans stood up and started singing the classic “Cómo no te voy a querer”. They cheered and gave some words of support to the Peruvian Para athletes. The second half started with a goal scored by the Mexican María Angulo⁠— the top scorer of the match with four points⁠—, while the Peruvian Milagros Cotrina pulled off 5-3.

In the last minutes of the competition, the Mexican goalball players scored 5 more points, making a final score of 10-3 in their favor. As for Peru’s next competition, the national team will face off Brazil tomorrow, August 28, in the fourth match of the group stage.

Goalball: the sport born for people with visual impairment

Its origins date back to 1946, when this sport was created for people with visual impairment as part of a rehabilitation project for World War II veterans.

This discipline has been practiced in our country for about three years, but it was not until Lima 2019 that Peru finally entered both men’s and women’s team for the first time in the history of the Parapan American Games.

Goalball is a Parapan American sport consisting of two teams of six players each: three first team players and three substitutes, who are positioned in front of the goal to defend and try to score goals.

The court is similar to the one used in volleyball (18 meters long and 9 meters wide), with a goal on each side of the field and, as a main requirement, players must wear eyeshades to block the light.

The match lasts 24 minutes, and it is divided into two 12-minute halves with a 3-minute half time. The ball is made of rubber, weights 1.250 grams, and has bells inside that help players find it as they only have 8 seconds to shoot the ball. 

Matches are played in absolute silence, in order to allow players to hear the sound of the ball while it slides over the field of play

Team members Erika Inuma, Milagros Cotrina, Jenniffer Mamani, Nicole Pérez, Nicole Pelayo and Diana Flores, under the technical direction of Luis Cabanillas, hope to receive the support of the best fans in the world.  

This Para sport, which is one of the greatest shows of Lima 2019, is designed for people with visual impairment. Each team has three members and they all wear eyeshades that block out their vision completely. 

It is important to note that goalball has been contested at the Parapan American Games since 2011. The ball used weights 1.25 kg and has bells inside that make noise to guide the Para athletes. 

TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE 

Fans can still purchase tickets for goalball, boccia, Para taekwondo, sitting volleyball, wheelchair rugby, para cycling track and wheelchair tennis. 

They are available through the website (www.lima2019.pe) or the several authorized points of sale. 

The Parapan American Games will end on September 1. A total of 1890 athletes from 33 countries of the continent will participate in 17 sports and 18 disciplines during this event.

The Peruvian women’s goalball team received a warm welcome from fans in its debut against the experienced team from the US in the group stage of this amazing Para sport that promises to be one of the best performances of Lima 2019.

The Peruvian fans lived up to their role as hosts by chanting at the top of their lungs the memorable “como no te voy a querer.” Before the event started, the legendary “Arriba Peru” echoed through the Miguel Grau Coliseum of Callao, boosting the confidence of the three Peruvian goalball players.

The Peruvian trio was unable to beat the North American team, who defined the match in the first period. However, the Para athletes defended the Peruvian flag with honor and spirit, to the rhythm of the encouraging words and applause coming from the stands. They also backed their opponent’s defense into a corner in more than one occasion, forcing them to repel hard throws.

When the match ended, the Peruvian goalball players approached the stand, where the public applauded and greeted them. With this in mind, goalball player Diana Flores invited all Peruvians to continue cheering for Peru’s national goalball team.

“The energy that the fans transmit to us is something that allows us to keep going and reinforces our belief that representing Peru is the best thing that’s ever happened to us. That’s why, tomorrow we’re going for the win,” she stated with excitement.

She also thanked Lima 2019 for the chance it gives goalball players to be able to put into practice their abilities in first-rate sports facilities. “This makes our work on the field of play more valuable and it’s the best reward for our intense training,” she concluded.

Additionally, this Monday 26, the three tough Peruvians will seek to redeem themselves against Canada, at 16:15. There is no doubt that the Peruvian fans will continue supporting the Para athletes unconditionally, who, through their efforts, wish to leave Peru at the top of the largest Para sports event in the continent. 

Goalball competitions opened with a hard-fought South American classic match between Argentinian and Brazilian men’s teams for the qualifying round of Group A.

This version of the “classic match of the Atlantic” dazzled the spectators who gathered at the Miguel Grau Coliseum in Callao. In this regard, people on the grandstands tirelessly cheered on the Para athletes, who despite they were wearing eyeshades, showcased precision both in attacking and defensive move.

The score was favorable to the “carioca” team after thrashing Argentina 9-2. The Brazilians entered the field determined to win, and they winded up the match in the first half. However, their opponent managed to score two goals in the second half.

The scorer of the match was the Brazilian Josemarcio Sousa, with 4 goals; however, his teammate Leomon Moreno Da Silva stood out for being a key solid defender against the Argentinian team.

Moreno Da Silva, who has been named the world’s greatest goalball player, expressed his gratitude to Lima 2019 for offering a suitable infrastructure to practice this Para sport, as well as for contributing to its promotion and positioning at a continental level.
 

“I am very happy to be able to recognize that in Peru they have made every effort to host a Para sports event that exceeds our expectations, not only for the venues, but also for the hospitality and cheers of the people. That fills me with emotion, and enable my professional and moral growth,” he said effusively.

On the other hand, the goalball player Fernando Rodríguez, who scored the goal for the Argentinian team, pointed out that, due to the ovation and cheers from the Lima fans, he felt as if they were playing as a home team.

“The support of the crowd was amazing and unforgettable; it will remain engraved on my heart. Those words of encouragement that go beyond nationality make us stronger as Para athletes,” he concluded with enthusiasm.

This is how the men’s goalball opening competitions took place, with a great South American classic match, in an atmosphere of brotherhood, where the fans in Lima claim the slogan Let’s All Play!

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.