Sao Paulo 2017: goalball and judo preview

Goalball and judo are two of the 12 sports featured in the programme of the fourth Youth Parapan American Games, set to take place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, between 20-25 March.

Goalball

Athletes aged 13-18 years old from six countries are expected to compete at the men´s and women´s goalball competitions. Brazil won gold four years ago in the only goalball event at the latest edition of the Youth Parapans in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The Training Centre’s multiuse arena at the Brazilian Paralympic Centre will be used for the goalball events. The court will be marked on the venue’s hardwood floor. The gymnasium is air-conditioned and has a grandstand with 523 seats, 38 of them reserved for spectators with physical impairment.

Judo

Six countries are expected to send judokas aged 15-20 years old to compete at the fourth Youth Parapan American Games. Argentina´s Rocio Ledesma, who will be defending the gold medal from Buenos Aires 2013, will be one-to-look out for.

“I cannot wait for the competition to start and I am training very hard to achieve the best possible result,” she said.

The judo tournament will take place on one of the two mats of the judo venue at the Brazilian Paralympic Committee. The mat is walled off, isolating the competition area from outside noises, which is a crucial aspect of blind sports. Inside the venue, there will be a grandstand to accommodate up to 104 spectators.

Brazil topped the sport´s medals table at Buenos Aires 2013 with three golds and two silvers. Argentina (one gold and one silver), Colombia and Mexico (one gold) completed the top four.

Around 1,000 athletes, aged 12-20 years old, from 20 countries are expected to participate in Sao Paulo from 20-25 March, with 12 sports being contested: athletics, boccia, football 5, football 7, goalball, judo, powerlifting, sitting volleyball, swimming, table tennis, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis.

Buenos Aires 2013 attracted more than 600 athletes from 16 countries, who competed across 10 sports. Brazil topped the medal 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.

For more information, visit Sao Paulo 2017’s website.