Popular vote to decide name of Sao Paulo 2017’s mascot

“People's cooperation is essential since the mascot aims at winning everyone’s sympathy and is pivotal to the competition's identity."

A popular vote will be conducted on the Brazilian Paralympic Committee’s (CPB) Facebook page to determine the name of the Sao Paulo 2017 Youth Parapan American Games’ mascot, a female red howler monkey.

Mona, the Spanish word for a female monkey, Mina, a typical Sao Paulo slang for girls, and Sampa, a nickname for the city of Sao Paulo, are the three shortlisted names.

People can vote between 15-20 November, with the results being published on 21 November.

The female red howler monkey can be found in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, one of whose protected areas is located right next to the brand new Brazilian Paralympic Centre, where the competition will take place from 20-25 March 2017.

"I want to personally invite everybody to vote and get involved in choosing the name of the Sao Paulo 2017 Youth Parapan American Games' mascot,” said CPB President and International Paralympic Committee Vice-president Andrew Parsons.

“People's cooperation is essential since the mascot aims at winning everyone’s sympathy and is pivotal to the competition's identity."

Around 1,000 athletes, ages 12-21 years old, from more than 20 countries are expected to take part in this event, with 12 sports being contested: athletics, boccia, football 5, football 7, goalball, judo, powerlifting, sitting volleyball, swimming, table tennis, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis.

The last edition of the Youth Parapan Ams was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in October 2013, attracting more than 600 athletes from 16 countries, who competed across 10 sports. Brazil topped the medals table and 15 countries reached the podium at least once.

Barquisimeto, Venezuela, staged the inaugural edition in 2005, with athletes from 10 countries competing, whilst a total of 14 countries attended the event in Bogota, Colombia, in 2009.