Julián Andrés Santa
Time is ticking and the start of the first edition of the National and Paranational Youth Games in the Coffee Region is getting closer and closer, which will continue to be held the year after the National Games, with the aim of continuing to strengthen the new crop of Colombian athletes.
Regarding Risaralda, there will be 10 venues that will host 21 sports disciplines, highlighting the absence of the Coliseum Mayor as it has not met the requirements to host these events. The curious thing is that it was a suitable venue for last year’s National and Paranational Games.
Disciplines such as archery, Para archery, judo, visual judo, cycling, Para cycling, tennis, wheelchair tennis, boxing, badminton, Para badminton, wrestling, football, swimming, diving, artistic swimming, skateboarding, rugby 7, floor volleyball and beach volleyball, will be those that can be enjoyed from November 8 to 29 in the city of Pereira, Dosquebradas and Santa Rosa de Cabal.
The coordinator of the department’s judging commission, Gustavo Rivera, highlighted the progress being made. “We are complying with the schedules, we have had training in several sports with very good participation and the objectives are being met. The idea is that these young people are trained in the best way to be assistant judges to gain experience and support the entire competition issue.”
During the first and second week of October, the entire team of Risaralda coordinators made a fourth visit to the sports venues such as the Skate Park, Aquatic Complex, Expofuturo, Archery Stadium, Hernán Ramírez Villegas Stadium, Coliseo Menor and the Park of the Coffee. According to them, each of these complexes already has what is necessary to receive competitors and the general public.
“Make nice”
Regarding the progress made by Risaralda, the departmental coordinator, Hárold Alzate, gave a report of satisfaction. “With the Departmental Secretariat of Sports and the Municipal Secretariat of Sports we have been working on the setup, cleaning, cleaning, branding, façade; “We are working on making each of the settings beautiful to receive our athletes in the best way.”
File photo provided by the organization of the National and Paranational Youth Games.
Names such as Stefany Cuadrado in track cycling and Andrés Hernández in archery, who participated in the Paris Olympic Games or recent world champions at the youth level such as Brenda Olaya in judo or Ingrid Vanesa Segura in weightlifting, will be present in the Coffee Axis.
Bogotá, Valle and Antioquia with more than 500 athletes each, are the regional ones with the most registered participants. In total, 2,838 men and 2,354 women will be participating, in 35 sports and 41 modalities.
Next October 30 will be the closing of nominal registration in the Paralympic sector, which will define the total number of athletes and Para athletes present in the first edition of the National Youth Games.
