With an audiovisual message from President Gabriel Boric and the Metropolitan Park of Santiago as the backdrop, Chile officially expressed its interest this week in hosting the Youth Olympic Games in 2030. The country’s capital leads this bid, in line with its ambition to also host a future Summer Olympic Games. The formal communication had already been sent weeks earlier to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), through a letter signed by Miguel Ángel Mujica, president of the Chilean Olympic Committee, along with a supporting document from the state, signed by the Minister of Sports, Jaime Pizarro.

The announcement was publicly shared this Monday through a video in which Boric expressed his full support for the bid and emphasized that this initiative is part of an agenda of major sports events, including the FIFA U-20 World Cup, the Track Cycling World Championships, the AmeriCup Women’s Basketball, the Youth Parapan American Games, and the Special Olympics World Games 2027. “Sports are a tool for social transformation and a driver of development,” highlighted the president.

A strategic project with a future vision

The presentation event brought together authorities such as the Minister of the Interior, Álvaro Elizalde, the governor of Santiago, Claudio Orrego, sports leaders, and athletes from Team Chile, all of whom emphasized the country’s organizational potential. Mujica stated that this bid not only reinforces the overall Olympic aspiration but also offers a global showcase to demonstrate Chile’s capability while simultaneously training new generations of athletes. “The Youth Games would project the future Team Chile and spread the values of sports among children and youth,” said the leader.

For his part, Minister Jaime Pizarro highlighted Chile’s recent experience after the successful development of the Pan American and Parapan American Games Santiago 2023, which left a high-level sports infrastructure. In this context, he emphasized the importance of the project having a state character and receiving collaboration from both the public and private sectors. While awaiting the venue selection — which could be resolved between 2026 and 2027 — Chile enters a key stage of technical studies, political consensus, and Olympic diplomacy, while the youthful excitement begins to take shape at the foot of the Andes.