In a moving and simple ceremony, the Pre-Olympic Table Tennis Tournament opened this morning with the presence of Carlos Neuhaus, the president of the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee.

This event took place in Sports Center 3 at the National Sports Village (VIDENA). This venue was built specially for the Pan American and Parapan American Games and will now welcome this tournament, which is the most important event to take place after Lima 2019 ended in September 1, as it is a qualifier for Tokyo 2020.

The president of the Latin American Table Tennis Union, Juan Vila; the secretary general of the Peruvian Olympic Committee, Carlos Manual Lazarte; and the president of the Peruvian Table Tennis Federation, Marisol Espiniera, were also present at the opening ceremony.

Neuhaus highlighted the legacy that Lima 2019 is leaving for athletes who are now competing on world-class stages. “It is very valuable that Peru has been chosen as the venue for this Pre-Olympic Tournament. Lima 2019 was a dream that seemed impossible, but we did it for the athletes. It was worth the effort, because the investment enabled us to have first-rate facilities. This is a chance to show what we have as a country and now our athletes can compete in quality venues,” said the president of Lima 2019.

Meanwhile, Juan Vila recalled the success of Lima 2019. “Carlos Neuhaus being here is important to us, because he was the captain of Lima 2019. This tournament will have a place in all of our hearts. It is the best organized activity in the Pan American Games It is a source of pride, so I congratulate the organization. All of this has led to you now hosting a qualifying tournament for Tokyo 2020,” stated the international executive. 

This is the first tournament of major importance after the Pan American and Parapan American Games ended, as it is a qualifier for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Top athletes in the continent like Hugo Calderano from Brazil and Adrian Díaz from Puerto Rico, who won the gold medal at the Pan American Games and qualified for Tokyo 2020, will participate in this international competition. 

Also participating in this tournament are Brazilian’s Vitor Ishiy, Pan American champion at Asuncion 2019, and Bruna Takahashi, singles bronze medal winner and doubles bronze medal winner alongside Jessica Yamada who, in turn, is a mixed doubles silver medal winner with Gustavo Tsuboi and team silver medal winner with Caroline Kumahara and Jessica Yamada at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games. Finally, the Chilean, Argentinian and Peruvian national teams will also take part.

The modern Sports Center 3, built specially for the Pan American and Parapan American Games competitions, bore witness to Brazil qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The sports stage, located in the National Sports Village (VIDENA), hosted the pre-Olympic table tennis tournament from Friday 25 to Sunday 27. The best men’s and women’s teams obtained a quota for the Olympic Games, which take place next year. Among these teams was Brazil, that took the title in the most important tournament to have taking place after the Lima 2019 Games.

The Brazilians won the title in women’s by defeating Puerto Rico 3-0 in the last round, while in men’s they beat Argentina 3-2 in the final.

The first team consisted of Jessica Yamada, Caroline Kumahara and Bruna Takahashi—ranked 53 in the world—, who beat Puerto Rico’s Adriana Díaz—number 27 in world ranking and gold medal winner at Lima 2019—, her sister Melanie Díaz and Daniely Ríos.

The men’s Brazilian team consisted of the current Lima 2019 champion, Hugo Calderano; number 6 in the world ranking, Vitor Ishiy; and Gustavo Tsuboi, who beat the Argentinian team, Pablo Tabachnik, Gastón Alto and Horacio Sifuentes, 3-2 in a tough and dramatic match that lasted more than three hours.

The men’s team triumphed over Peru (3-0) and Chile (3-0) in their first matches in the round-robin competition. The women’s team beat Chile and Peru, as well as Puerto Rico in the final.

This is the first major tournament to be held in Peru after the Pan American and Parapan American Games ended, as a qualifier for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Over one thousand people attended this international competition. It is worth nothing that Carlos Neuhaus, president of the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee, participated in the opening ceremony.

The momentum gained after the celebration of the Lima 2019 Games is creating great interest in the most important world organizations to choose our capital city to host sport events. That is why, in the following months, there will be three international events involving triathlon, weightlifting and table tennis.

The Pan American and Parapan American Games put the Peruvian capital on display and the world class infrastructure has allowed them to take a look at Peru.

TABLE TENNIS ON THE ROAD TO TOKYO

After a brilliant show put on by the best table tennis players of the Americas at Lima 2019, the Sports Center 3 in VIDENA will reopen to welcome the Latin America Team Qualification. This event will qualify the best two teams, in men’s and women’s, to make up the best 16 countries in the world to be part of Tokyo 2020.

Brazil, Argentina, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and other highly ranked countries in Latin America will bring their best athletes to compete in intense matches from October 25 to 27. It is very likely that the great finals that took place in the Pan American Games will be relived, with crowded grandstands.

Lima 2019 gave two quota places for the next year’s Olympic Games, but only in singles events. Brazilian Hugo Calderano, the best Latin American player in history, and Puerto Rican Adriana Díaz took the honors.

TRIATHLON WORLD CIRCUIT

Lima will be the host of the Triathlon World Cup, organized every year by the International Triathlon Union (ITU). The event will take place from November 2 to 3 at the Agua Dulce Beach circuit in Chorrillos, where the Lima 2019 competition was developed.

On Saturday November 2, all amateur athletes will compete in categories from age 8 to age 60+. And on Sunday November 3, the elite event will take place with the best ranked in the world series, where six Peruvians will compete. The sprint distance competition (750 m swimming, 20 km cycling and 5 km race) will be on that day.

This competition will also add very valuable points to the world ranking since it is one of the last ones of the Olympic circuit, which defines the qualification to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

“In order to host this event, we had to show the ITU the circuit we have at Agua Dulce Beach and prove that we have accountability and solvency as a federation. Something we were able to build after our last management and the federated teams,” said Rodrigo León Prado, president of the Peruvian Triathlon Federation.

WEIGHTLIFTING GRAND PRIX

Likewise, the weightlifting Grand Prix will be held on our capital city on November. This competition provides qualifying points for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games; thus, it will bring the world’s best weightlifters to Peru.

There will be almost 200 athletes for both men’s and women’s participating in this world class event, which will be held from November 6 to 11 at the Sports Center 3 in Videna, and the entrance will free of charge for the public.

The important points for Tokyo 2020 and the cash prizes are the main motivation for the 10 best in the world, among them the Spanish Lidia Valentin and the Armenian Lasha Talajadze, to come to Peru.

Our country will have 12 representatives at the Grand Prix, among them the bronze medalist in the Pan American Games, David Bardalez, and our female representative Shoely Mego stand out. It will be a great opportunity to keep adding points on their road to the Olympic Games.

EXPECTATIONS FOR 2020

Other sports have also announced additional competitions. The Peruvian Weightlifting Federation aims for the growth and spread of the sport. During 2020, our country will host the U-17 World Cup, and for 2021 they expect to organize the Senior World Cup.

The Hockey Federation announced that during 2020 they will host the Pan American Challenger and the South American Championship at Villa Maria del Triunfo. As for the Bowling Federation, they announced on social media that there will be an Ibero-American Championship next year.

Athletics has already applied to host the World Youth Championship on 2021. Without a doubt, Lima will continue to be the center of international sports.

The participation of these two promising athletes during the Pan American Games Closing Ceremony was also a commitment to the future of Peruvian sport.

As part of the protocol, the Panam Sports President, Neven Ilic, awarded the last two gold medals. The first one went to Romina Ariana Baltazar Miñan, who competed in judo at age 14. She claimed the title in her category at the School Championships. At the South American School Championships, she took home the individual silver and team bronze medals.

The other medal was for Carlos “Nano” Fernández, who won in the U-15 table tennis category at the ITTF World Junior Circuit.

“Nano” Fernández obtained medals in all South American categories (U-11, U-13, and U-15), and has also won the gold and silver medals at Latin American level (champion in U-11 and runner-up in U13 and U-15).

They are two promising stars of Peruvian sport ahead of the next Pan American Games, Santiago 2023.

El mejor jugador de tenis de mesa en las Américas, y los seis primeros del circuito mundial, ganó su primera medalla de oro en Lima 2019 . El brasileño Hugo Calderano jugó la final de dobles masculinos junto con su compañero de equipo Hugo Tsuboi y mostró un alto nivel de competencia. Sin embargo, sus oponentes argentinos llevaron a la pareja brasileña a empujarse al límite.

A priori, las diferencias eran evidentes. Calderano, el primer campeón latinoamericano de la liga profesional de Alemania, jugó con su antiguo compañero de equipo contra la pareja argentina formada por Gastón Alto y Horacio Cifuentes , quienes han practicado este deporte de manera amateur durante muchos años. Sin embargo, todo se dejó de lado en el partido.

Los argentinos lo hicieron difícil para el dúo brasileño, pero ganaron fácilmente los primeros dos sets. Asimismo, el dúo argentino lo dejó todo en el campo para igualar el marcador. Incluso en el sexto set, hubo mucho suspenso en la definición, lo que hizo evidente el ingrediente emocional del deporte que solo se puede ver en estas competiciones.

A la edad de 22 años, Calderano obtuvo su segunda medalla de oro en los Juegos Panamericanos . Todavía tiene competencias individuales y de equipo pendientes. A pesar de dedicar todo su tiempo a esta disciplina, realmente valora participar en los Juegos Panamericanos y compartir el espíritu aficionado una vez más en la Villa Panamericana.

“Soy un atleta que comenzó desde cero. Dejé Río de Janeiro a una edad muy temprana para vivir en Europa, pero recuerdo lo difícil que fue para mí llegar a la élite. Es una excelente experiencia para el corazón compartir nuevamente el sueño de destacar en este tipo de competencias con otros atletas que entrenan tanto o más que yo. Este es el caso del equipo argentino. Es admirable ”, dijo Calderano.

Por su parte, el Alto argentino mencionó que aunque son atletas dedicados, tienen el coraje de competir en desventaja. “Entrenamos de seis a ocho horas diarias sin esperar nada a cambio. Este esfuerzo vale la pena cuando llegamos a una final como en Lima 2019 , contra un fenómeno de tenis de mesa como Calderano y yo disfrutamos de ti. Estas son metas de la vida que nos llenan de coraje para seguir practicando el deporte ”, afirmó.

Esta es la verdadera esencia del deporte. No se trata solo de ganar o perder, se trata de dejar atrás todos los esfuerzos para llegar a la cima del podio.

Athletics, swimming and table tennis fans will be able to see in action the best athletes of the Americas tomorrow, on Tuesday, August 6, in the Lima 2019 Pan American Games competitions to be held in the National Sports Village (VIDENA), in the district of San Luis.

The organization exhorts people to arrive an hour before the start of competitions to comfortably locate their seats.

The events will start with table tennis at the Sports Center 3, from 10:00 to 13:00. They will resume at 15:00 and end at 21:00. Spectators are advised to arrive by 09:00 and enter through gate N° 2 located at Av. Del Aire s/n.  

Meanwhile, swimming competitions will be held at the Aquatic Center from 11:00 to 14:15, and from 20:30 to 22:45. Spectators are advised to arrive by 10:00 and enter through gate N° 2 located at Av. Del Aire s/n.  

Athletics events will be held at the ATHLETICS STADIUM, from 14:00 to 20:00. Spectators should arrive by 13:00 and enter through gate N° 10 located at Av. Canadá s/n. However, if you wish to arrive earlier, the gate will be open from 12:30.

Recommendations

The Lima 2019 Organizing Committee gives the following recommendations for spectators:

• Arrive one hour before the time of the event.
• Infants and children must show their tickets.
• All spectators (including minors) must show their ID or similar documents.
• Do not bring your own vehicle (use public transportation).
• Do not bring pets.
• Do not bring bicycles or scooters.
• Do not bring plastic or glass bottles.
• Only packaged food with sanitary registration is allowed.

Athletics Legend

The legendary American athlete Carl Lewis, nine-times athletics Olympic champion, eight-times world champion and gold medalist at the Indianapolis 1987 Pan American Games, will attend the athletics events and will award medals for the 100 m and long jump events. He is a special Panam Sports guest.

The Lima 2019 Pan American Games has opened a wide horizon for the unprecedented development of a multi-sports culture in Peru. Table tennis is a sport that, in this edition of the Pan American Games, brings together 18 countries and 84 athletes who will compete to reach the podium and take the gold to their respective countries.

The coach of the Peruvian table tennis women's team, Reiner Baster Guerra, encouraged new generations to practice this demanding sport. By doing so, they will have the opportunity to be part of the Peruvian team and represent their country in the most prestigious international competitions.

“Table tennis is a sport that allows youth to develop their psychomotricity and display athletic abilities that could remain hidden unless they are exploited in time. For this reason, I encourage young people to join the training sessions from the Peruvian Table Tennis Federation,” he said.

He also stated that new generations are the future of this sport in Peru. “We want to compete with a team full of new promises, a team that could represent the country in the next international competitions,” he eagerly noted.

On the other hand, Peruvian tennis player Ángela Mori, who competed against Mexican Yadira Silva on the first day of the single table tennis event, explained that for optimal performance on the field, the unconditional support of the fans is indispensable.

“I'm very excited to see so many people supporting us in the competitions. It allows you to draw strength to keep going, which is not usual, because when we go to the competitions we're accompanied only by our families, but seeing the stands full of people, you feel proud to represent Peru," expressed the athlete loaded with excitement.

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