DIEGO ELIAS CELEBRATES HIS DEBUT WITH VICTORY ON HIS WAY TO THE PODIUM

With only 22 years old, Diego Elías has set a clear goal for himself in his sporting career. Placing eighth in the PSA (Professional Squash Association) ranking is not enough. Diego’s dream is to be the first Latin American to be the world champion, and if he keeps performing at his best, Diego has the chance to make it.

The Lima 2019 Pan American Games is the first step to success that Elías has set for this year. His first victory against Guatemalan Edwin Enríquez at the VIDENA volleyball high-performance center (CAR) shows that he will not be satisfied with the silver medal, as happened at Toronto 2015.

“It’s exciting to play with all the Peruvian fans cheering you on. It’s a special feeling because I don’t usually play in Peru. In fact, my last event was the 2013 Bolivarian Games in Trujillo, and I feel deeply committed when I think about it. However, I need to focus on each match not to be under so much pressure,” Elías stated.

It only took Elías 20 minutes to beat his opponent 3-0. He meets tomorrow United States’ Todd Harrity, a rival he has already faced and inspires him respect in the 62-square-meter court.

“I’ve been preparing physically for this tournament and you can see it on the field. I’ll try to take the lead. That’s why I took all championships very seriously to keep gaining experience because rivals also prepare hard to get to the top of this sport,” Elías added.

This is the competition calendar for the upcoming days:

To cheer our team on, buy your tickets at lima2019.pe/tickets and in the authorized Teleticket points of sale at the 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.  It is worth mentioning that a new point of sale has just opened at the Jockey Plaza shopping center in Surco.

SQUASH AT LIMA 2019

Squash at the Pan American Games includes the men’s and women’s categories in individual, doubles and team events, as well as mixed doubles. Thirty-six male and 24 female athletes from 12 and 8 countries, respectively, will compete.

Besides Elías, Alonso Escudero and Andrés Duany will represent Peru in the men’s competitions. Pía Hermosa, Ximena Rodríguez and Alejandra Zavala will join the Peruvian women’s team. The bracket draw for the seven events will take place on July 23 at 2:00.

Photo gallery (click here)