Arze highlighted that reorganising the sports system is the country’s most urgent challenge. “There has to be a transition process. We have just had a new national government; there needs to be an understanding between the public sector, the Olympic Committee and the international federations.” He added that reversing the previous model is essential, as “the former system went 20 years without recognising a single national federation. The idea now is to reverse that, coordinate actions and obviously look for strong sporting results at the international level.”

Increasing Bolivia’s Olympic presence

The president explained that the lack of formal recognition for numerous federations over the past two decades has had a significant impact on Bolivia’s competitive structure, limiting access to international events and long-term planning. Restoring that legal and administrative framework is therefore a priority to stabilise the national sports system.

Arze emphasised that better coordination aims to rebuild Bolivia’s international presence. “We want to reach the Olympic Games with as many athletes as possible and obviously fight for a medal.” The objective is to improve the country’s participation at regional and global events while restoring the competitive foundations of its federations.

A new sports law for the upcoming cycle

Looking ahead to the road to Los Angeles 2028, the President of the Comité Olímpico Bolivariano said the focus is on consolidating a well-prepared and competitive team. “The idea is that from here, in four years, we have a team capable of achieving a dignified representation at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.”

He noted that this target requires regulatory progress and stronger institutional coordination. “We need to talk about a new sports law and genuinely consider how to support athletes so they can improve their performance.” Sports planning and state cooperation will be essential to creating better training conditions.

Prospects for international projection

Bolivian sport enters this new stage with a recent history marked by limited results at regional competitions and longstanding instability within several federations. The committee is now working to recover lost ground through reorganisation and technical development, with the goal of increasing participation in major international events.

Arze stressed that the objective is to build a sustainable competitive structure, capable of regaining presence at regional and global levels and expanding opportunities for athletes. With the institutional rebuild underway, Bolivia aims to strengthen its long-term Olympic project and support the emergence of new talent in the coming years.

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Asked about the emotion of seeing the medals around her neck, Sotomayor emphasised what it meant to compete in front of her people. “I was really happy. It is always beautiful to represent Peru, and what better way than doing it at home with my family and friends by my side. It means so much and, as I live abroad for training and studies, coming home and bringing medals back means a lot,” she said.

A talent that emerged early

Alexia Sotomayor’s journey began at a very young age. She broke her first national record at eleven and, by twelve, was already part of youth national teams competing at South American and Pan American events. Before turning fifteen she had accumulated more than one hundred registered marks, establishing herself as one of Peru’s most promising swimmers.

The athlete recalled the most demanding part of the process. “The hardest part was definitely leaving home. I left my house at fifteen to keep pursuing my dream, improving and chasing my goals in sport,” she explained. Sotomayor highlighted that distance, academic pressure and continuous training have defined her path. “Leaving home at such a young age is tough, but it gives you results. Bringing medals back and seeing my dreams closer every day means a lot and many sacrifices.”

A growing reference for Peruvian swimming

Beyond her sporting progress, Alexia Sotomayor became the first Peruvian to be appointed to the World Aquatics Athletes’ Committee, a milestone that enhances her international visibility and positions her as a reference for the next generation. Her role within this global structure links her competitive experience with institutional representation in aquatic sport.

With a career shaped by results, international training and a growing leadership role, Sotomayor enters the next Olympic cycle with ambition. Her goal is to consolidate herself in major international events and move closer to the objective she has repeated since her early competitive years: competing at the Los Angeles Olympic Games, where she hopes to represent Peru with a strong and developing team.

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Volunteer Rossana explained that her main motivation was to support the athletes and be part of the sporting atmosphere surrounding these Bolivarian Games. “What motivated me was encouraging the athletes to reach their goals and living a very exciting experience at these Bolivarian Games. I carry the learning in my heart. Seeing each athlete improve, and seeing that we as volunteers have also improved, we’ve learned so much in every space and on every field of play,” she said.

Volunteering as a learning experience

Rossana’s experience reflects the human dimension of volunteering, where supporting athletes and learning each day blends with logistical tasks that sustain the organisation of the event. Her testimony highlights the value of citizen participation in competitions of this scale, where each team contributes to the smooth development of the sporting programme.

Volunteer Ricardo shared a different perspective within the organisation, linked to the area of sustainability. “This opportunity seemed ideal to learn how I could help others, for me from a sporting perspective, but I was assigned to sustainability. Sustainability is about encouraging how we can help others through our daily actions, how we can influence the environment and, above all, how our carbon footprint can become smaller,” he said.

Sustainability and volunteer roles

Roles related to sustainability form part of the organisational efforts to raise awareness about environmental impact in large-scale sporting events. Having specific areas dedicated to this work allows volunteers like Ricardo to participate in actions aimed at reducing waste, optimising resources and sharing responsible practices with attendees.

The role of volunteers at the XX Bolivarian Games Ayacucho – Lima 2025 spans a wide range of tasks, from supporting delegations to duties related to the venue environment and operational services. Their testimonies show the diversity of experiences offered through the volunteer programme and the impact it has on the development of the event.

Volunteer work plays an essential part in multi-sport competitions, contributing both to internal operations and to initiatives that promote environmental awareness. The participation of varied profiles, such as those of Rossana and Ricardo, demonstrates the breadth of functions required to deliver the Games and the importance of having trained and committed teams at every venue.

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Lee noted that ACODEPA’s vision is built on two fundamental pillars that respond to the needs of the continent. “The Pan-American sports confederations that I am honoured to represent have as their main function the development of sport across the continent. We work on two basic axes: at the horizontal level, which is expansion, our objective is to ensure that more countries practice our sport in an organized manner,” he stated. He added that this implies ensuring “they have a National Federation that is recognized by their Ministry of Sport and their National Olympic Committee.”

Qualitative growth to develop future Olympic figures

The ACODEPA president explained that the second pillar focuses on the qualitative growth of athletes. “We are very interested in seeing qualitative growth among the athletes within these national federations, so they can represent their countries in regional or continental events and win medals,” Lee said. He emphasised that the goal is to ensure that “each Olympic cycle sees new figures emerge in every country in the Americas.”

In this context, ACODEPA acts as a continental coordination platform, bringing together recognized Pan-American sports confederations and maintaining working ties with organizations in the regional sports system. Its role includes technical coordination, support for national federations and the promotion of common standards for structured development within each discipline.

Gender equality and challenges in disciplines with structural barriers

Addressing strategies to promote women’s participation and leadership within sports organizations, Lee stressed that each sport has its own particular realities. “Promoting gender equity in a sport like basketball, where women commonly play from school age, is not the same as in wrestling,” he explained. He highlighted that disciplines such as rhythmic gymnastics are predominantly female, while others require specific efforts to incorporate women and girls. “So each sport, within its own particularities, must find ways to incorporate women into practice,” he noted.

He added that personal and social factors influence long-term participation for female athletes, and underlined the importance of working with parents and guardians from early stages. Lee also pointed to “another concept that is very prominent nowadays, which is safe sport, because as you know, there have unfortunately been many cases where girls have been victims of abuse by coaches, referees and even officials, and this requires a series of regulations and standards to follow,” stressing the need for supervision and preventive measures.

The ACODEPA president also stated that other differences are linked to cultural aspects and the conditions of sporting facilities. “Many facilities were built many years ago, and in some cases they were designed for men’s sport, and from there a limitation already exists,” he said.

Each discipline requires its own measures

Lee emphasised that these measures require particular attention in contact sports. “In the case of wrestling, we are very clear on this because it is a contact sport. It is not the same as playing table tennis, where the athlete may be several metres away from the opponent, as practicing wrestling where there is physical contact, and therefore many precautions and constant supervision are needed,” he said. He added that close work with coaches is essential to identify and prevent any situation that could affect female athletes.

ACODEPA has a Gender Equity Commission that develops guidelines and recommendations for Pan-American confederations, aligned with safe sport frameworks and institutional policies applied across the continent. Each discipline adapts these standards according to its own characteristics, taking into account technical, cultural and structural factors, with the aim of facilitating women’s participation in appropriate conditions.

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España explained that the final stretch before the event was especially challenging due to his late decision to move down a category, a change he made just three weeks before the tournament. “Right now, I’m congratulating him,” he said, referring to the version of himself as a child. “I’m congratulating him because about twenty days ago, maybe a month, I decided to drop to this weight, which is very hard for me. I went running, I trained day and night, because I practically trained day and night. So at this moment, I’m grateful to him because he motivated me from within to take this step.”

Dominance in the 57 kg freestyle category

The Colombian wrestler won both of his bouts by 10–0, displaying technical precision and tactical control throughout the competition. His performance added to the result of Carlos Izquierdo, who secured the silver medal in the 97 kg category, giving Colombia two podium finishes in wrestling during the Lima event.

España expressed his appreciation for the institutions that supported his participation. “First of all, I want to thank the country for considering me for these Bolivarian Games, thank the committee, all the medical staff hired for the Colombia team, thank my club, my coach Mario Izquierdo, who was always pushing me, and above all my family as the first support and God,” he said.

His performance is the result of a preparation process built on daily training, technical monitoring and a competitive environment that continues to strengthen in Colombia. His victory at the Bolivarian Games represents a boost within the sporting cycle, in a context where emerging talent in Colombian wrestling is gaining visibility.

Olympic wrestling in Colombia

Olympic wrestling in Colombia has a history that dates back to the mid-20th century, when the sport began to take shape in cities such as Barranquilla and Bogotá. Since then, the country has developed a competitive structure coordinated by the Colombian Wrestling Federation, which has enabled consistent participation in continental and world events across both freestyle and Greco-Roman disciplines.

In recent years, Colombian wrestling has gained renewed momentum thanks to the emergence of new generations of athletes and results at regional competitions. Notable figures such as two-time Olympic medallist Jackeline Rentería helped elevate the sport’s visibility and strengthen its international standing. This context has supported the rise of talents such as Elkin España, whose recent performance forms part of an ongoing phase of technical and competitive growth within the country.

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The leader also referred to the preparation of the Salvadoran delegation for the Pan American Junior Games Asunción 2025, highlighting the joint effort between the Olympic Committee and the government through the National Sports Institute. The strategy included international camps, preliminary competitions, and increased budgetary support. Thanks to this, the athletes arrived better prepared for the continental event and have already begun to achieve results: “we already had our first bronze medal in shooting sports, I believe this has helped the delegation arrive best prepared for these games.”

A young delegation with ambition in Asunción 2025

El Salvador is participating in Asunción with a delegation of 63 athletes, competing in 19 different sports. Among the disciplines, shooting sports, skating, archery, squash, and tennis stand out, though the full list covers a wide range of modalities. For Bruni, the presence of so many athletes in different events reflects years of effort and an opportunity to showcase the talent being nurtured in the country.

Beyond the numbers, hope is the main protagonist. The president of the Olympic Committee expressed confidence that these Pan American Junior Games will be a platform for El Salvador to celebrate several sporting achievements: “we hope that El Salvador can celebrate several podiums in these games.” With that conviction, the athletes are already competing in Asunción with their eyes set on showing that collective work, preparation, and passion are the formula for continuing to elevate Salvadoran sports.

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Updated medal table and standout performances

Brazil leads the standings with 69 medals (36 gold, 13 silver and 20 bronze), followed by the United States with 42 medals (11 gold, 18 silver and 13 bronze), and Chile, which has 24 medals (11 gold, 6 silver and 7 bronze). These results confirm the close battle for the top spots in the rankings.

In rowing, Chile delivered a historic performance, achieving a record number of medals in the discipline. Rhythmic gymnastics was dominated by Mexico, with a remarkable harvest of medals. In swimming, Argentina celebrated its third gold medal thanks to Ulises Saravia, one of the sport’s rising stars, who will continue his athletic career at a university in the United States.

Swimming event at the Junior Pan American Games – Photo: Manuela Pareja / SportsIn

Paraguay and the role of the host nation

The Paraguayan team, composed of 320 athletes across 28 sports, secured its first gold medal of the Games through Nicole Martínez in rowing. This was followed by a silver medal from Fiorella Gatti in squash and another silver from Janine Hanspach in fencing, strengthening the host nation’s presence in the medal table.

The digital platform ‘SportsIn’ has been present throughout the event, providing real-time coverage of the results and accompanying the delegations during the competitions of the Asunción 2025 Junior Pan American Games.

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Saldaña emphasized the role of the venues as drivers of sports development. “We now have great facilities that adapt very well to the country’s needs, but also become a very important center for the countries of the region that can come here to participate,” she stated.

In this context, she recalled the impact of the training camps held ahead of the Asunción 2025 Junior Games. “We brought together more than 1,000 official athletes in several sports, not only those included in the event. This has been a great boost for the athletes who are here today giving their best,” she affirmed.

The value for children: “Something awakens in them”

The sports leader stressed the importance of the effect competitions have on young audiences. “If you see the children and young people who have had the chance to attend, something awakens in them: these dreams, this desire to practice sports or to become stars in a particular discipline,” she explained.

She added that this impact “has great value for the country and for the region, because when there is greater sports participation and athletes find their place in high performance, this strengthens the federations, the committees, and therefore also Panam Sports as an organization.”

The ‘Lounge’, the Games’ alternative to the Village

Regarding the organization, Saldaña acknowledged that “the Junior Games do not have a Village, we housed the athletes and delegations in hotels, trying to ensure that everyone had the same level of comfort.” Even so, she highlighted that the proximity of the venues was key: “Since the facilities were so close, we were able to gather everyone within a very comfortable radius, and that allowed the athletes to arrive more relaxed and rested.”

The greatest challenge, she pointed out, was creating spaces for interaction. “Normally, in a Village athletes live together and a sense of community grows. Here we didn’t have that, so we came up with the ‘Lounge’, tents where they could rest, hydrate, socialize and even participate in interactive games or talks with fellow athletes.”

“A model of togetherness to be repeated”

The Panam Sports Secretary General highlighted the positive feedback from participants: “Many athletes have come to thank us because these spaces became places where they could not only rest, but also share with others and enjoy the full experience of the Games.”

Finally, she assured that this initiative will guide future editions. “This model of togetherness we are going to repeat in the Pan American Games and the Junior Pan American Games,” she concluded.

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Pérez highlighted that the opening ceremony, held on Saturday, marked a milestone for the organization and the public. “We are very proud of the opening we had on Saturday, and we hope everything continues to develop as it has so far so we can keep progressing,” he stated. The leader, who also heads the Paraguayan Olympic Committee -COP- and the South American Sports Organization -ODESUR-, is confident that the event will maintain the same level of success in the coming days.

Paraguay, “fully prepared” for 2031

In parallel with organizing the Junior Pan American Games, Paraguay is working on its bid to host the 2031 Pan American Games. Pérez noted that the country is “fully prepared” and that it has two key sports complexes: the one belonging to the National Sports Secretariat and the one managed by the Paraguayan Olympic Committee -COP-.

The leader explained that, in addition to the experience gained, Paraguay has strengths that position it well to host an event of such magnitude. “We believe it is time for a small country to also host the senior Pan American Games,” he said.

Pérez recalled that, of the 41 countries that make up PANAM, only 12 have hosted the senior Pan American Games. “I believe this is our moment,” he affirmed, highlighting the logistical and organizational capacity that Paraguay has demonstrated in recent competitions.

The PANAM Sports vice president and IOC member emphasized that the bid is not only about achieving a sporting milestone but also about boosting the country’s sports development and international projection.

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