SANTIAGO.- Asunción will be the headquarters of the 2031 Pan American Gamesthe largest multi-sports event on the continent, after surpassing the joint candidacy of the Brazilian cities of Rio de Janeiro and Niterói.
The American Olympic committees opted for the capital of Paraguay during an extraordinary assembly of Panam Sports, in charge of organizing the fairs, held this Friday in Santiago, Chile.
The Paraguayan capital had already competed to organize the 2027 Pan American Games, the next ones to be held, but lost by a handful of votes to Lima.
This time Asunción faced the duo of Brazilian cities of Rio de Janeiro and Niterói, whom it defeated by 28 votes to 24.
“Paraguay resurfaces and shows its greatness to the world,” the Paraguayan president, Santiago Peña, celebrated on his social networks after the election of his city.
“For the first time in our history we will organize this continental event putting Paraguay at the center of world sport,” he added.
40 National Olympic Committees participated in the election, of which 12 had an extra vote for having previously hosted the event.
The Dominica committee did not arrive at the meeting, so the total votes were 52.
The representatives of each candidacy had 40 minutes to present their proposals to the Panam Sports Executive Committee.
Asunción announced an operating budget of almost $390 million, while Río-Niterói offered $667 million.
Triumph of the “little ones”
The XXI edition of the Pan American Games will take place one year before Los Angeles celebrates the Olympic Games, one of the greatest events in global sport.
“We want to break the paradigm and show that small countries can organize events of great magnitude, with excellence, planning and vision,” said the president of the Paraguayan Olympic Committee, Camilo Pérez López, in his presentation, who cried with emotion after the victory.
Among the winners’ proposals are to build a Pan-American village, an athletics stadium and a new arena in the Asunción Olympic Park.
The Paraguayan committee highlighted the experience of having hosted the Pan-American junior event last August and the fact that one of the opening matches of the 2030 World Cup will be played in that city.
The Paraguayan capital had already competed in an extraordinary and urgent election in 2024 after the Colombian city of Barranquilla, which was going to host the 2027 Pan American Games, lost its venue due to non-payment.
Lima and Asunción emerged as candidates to take over from the Caribbean city. Finally, the Peruvian capital was chosen just five years after having organized the fairs in 2019.
The most recent Pan American Games were held in Santiago, Chile between October and November 2023.
6,900 athletes participated, competing in 40 sports and 59 disciplines.
The United States has won the medal table in 17 of the 19 editions held so far.
