The wait is over, Asunción will host the XII edition of the South American Games from this October 1, whose inauguration is scheduled for the Defensores del Chaco stadium, with more than 6,000 athletes from 15 nations summoned for 34 sports.
The South American Sports Organization will organize this event until next October 15, with a great deployment of security and with the support of nearly 4 thousand volunteers. During the official opening, 20,000 people are expected to attend, as well as an artistic show from the stands of the iconic Paraguayan soccer stadium.
The national delegation is made up of 576 athletes, almost double the number of athletes who competed in 2018 at the South American Games in Cochabamba, in Bolivia; although there will be other numerous delegations such as Brazil, Colombia and Argentina, the three giants of sport in this region of the southern continent.
The route of the torch of the Odesur Games through various host cities, included the Hydroelectric Power Plant and the Hernandarias Waterfront, which is part of the ITAIPU Tourist Complex. “We are seeing the most austere games of recent times, but without neglecting organizational excellence,” Camilo Pérez López-Moreira, president of the Paraguayan Olympic Committee and Odesur, told the media.
The President of the Republic, Mario Abdo Benítez, assured his presence at the opening ceremony, after having championed the Paraguayan delegation. For now, enthusiasm has emerged that Asunción could be a good venue for the II Junior Pan American Games in 2025, a possibility that Lima also seems to opt for with its infrastructure for the 2019 continental Games.
Some 80 infrastructure works were carried out for the Odesur 2022 Games, including facilities that have received praise from international experts such as the velodrome, the BMX cycling track, and the hockey field, among others.
The participating countries are Argentina, Aruba, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Curaçao, Ecuador, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela and Paraguay. Of the 34 sports, 18 will qualify for the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago de Chile.