Seven countries announce Rio 2016 delegations

El Salvador, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela name their athletes for September’s Paralympics. 06 Aug 2016
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Naomi Soazo

Venezuela's Naomi Soazo celebrates victory at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.

ⒸLieven Coudenys
By IPC

El Salvador, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela have announced their delegations for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

Venezuela will send 23 athletes to September’s Paralympics, including Paralympic judo gold medallist Naomi Soazo and Beijing 2008 athletics bronze medallist Samuel Colmenares.

Track and field athlete Sol Rojas will carry the national flag at the Opening Ceremony at the Maracana stadium, on 7 September.

Peru seek to win a Paralympic gold after 16 years through cycling world champion Israel Hilario Rimas, who was also named the delegation’s flagbearer.

“I want to compete at Rio 2016 with dignity and humility. I want to show the world what a Peruvian can do. Winning a medal would be fantastic,” he said.

Efrain Sotacuro will become the first Peruvian to compete in the marathon at a Paralympic Games, whilst track and field athlete Yeny Vargas was the last one to join Peru’s three-member delegation.

Long jumper Biondi Misasi will be Suriname’s sole representative at Rio 2016, hoping to win his country’s first Paralympic medal in history. “I truly believe I can win bronze,” the 25-year-old said.

Trinidad & Tobago has announced it will send three athletes to this year’s Paralympic Games. Double Parapan American champion Akeem Stewart, who also won bronze in the discus throw F44 at the Doha 2015 World Championships, will headline the delegation.

Sprinter Nyoshia Cain and swimmer Shanntol Ince will be the other two athletes competing for the Caribbean country in Rio.

Powerlifter Heibert Aceituno will be El Salvador’s only representative.

Jamaica will send three track and field athletes to Rio: Dana-Gaye Weller, two-time Paralympic champion Alphonso Cunningham and Shane Hudson.

Two-time athletics Parapan American bronze-medallist and London 2012 Paralympian Jesus de Gabriel Cuadra Holmann will spearhead Nicaragua’s three-member delegation.

Powerlifter Fernando Acevedo, who won bronze in the men’s up to 72kg at Toronto 2015 Parapan Am, and sprinter Jennifer Maralin Osejo Morales will be the other two Nicaraguan athletes in Rio.

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Sport fans from around the world can now buy their Paralympic tickets for Rio 2016 from authorised ticket resellers (ATRs)

The IPC’s Global ATR is Jet Set Sports, and Rio 2016 tickets and packages can be purchased on the CoSport website.

Residents of Brazil can buy 2016 Paralympics tickets directly from the Rio 2016 website.

Visa International is the exclusive payment card and the official payment system for the Paralympic Games.