SP2017: Two Brazil-Argentina finals set for Sao Paulo 2017

The South American rivals will face each other for gold in the football 5 and football 7 finals respectively at the Youth Parapan American Games. 24 Mar 2017
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A man withbright yellow football boots rests his foot on a ball.

Football 5 and football 7 will both be contested at Sao Paulo 2017.

ⒸLeandro Martins/MPIX/CPB

South American rivals Brazil and Argentina will face each other in the football 5 and football 7 finals on 24 and 25 March, respectively, at the Youth Parapan American Games in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The hosts defeated Venezuela 7-3 and Argentina beat Colombia 5-0 in the football 7 semi-finals on Thursday (23 March) to advance in to Sunday’s gold-medal match.

“I hope the players can do in the final everything we practiced,” said Brazilian coach Wagner Melo.

In the football 5 tournament, Argentina enjoyed a 3-1 win over Colombia to finish top of the round robin standings with three victories. They will face Brazil in the final after they hammered Mexico 5-0.

Jamaica closed their participation at the 2017 Youth Parapans with three medals in athletics. Sprinters Tevaughn Kevin Thomas and Jason Dennis Brown took one silver and two bronzes, respectively.

“I hope that I can keep improving and participate in the next Paralympics,” said Thomas. Brown added: “It was amazing for me. I am happy and excited. I cannot wait to call my family and tell them about it.”

Peru claimed their first ever medal at a Youth Parapan American Games through swimmer Maria de Jesus Trujillo in the women´s 50m freestyle S6.

“I feel so emotional, so happy, I think I have won my Mona [Sao Paulo 2017 mascot],” she said.

All the judo events took place on 23 March, with Brazilians Luiza Oliano (women’s -48kg), Joao Marcos Souza (men’s +90kg), Luan Pimentel (-73kg) and Gabriel Silva (men’s -66kg) topping the podium in their respective categories.

Argentina’s Rocio Ledesma (wome,’s -52kg) and Colombia´s Jhon Jairo Sanchez (men’s -55kg) were the other two judo gold-medal winners of the day.

Brazil also landed gold in wheelchair tennis through the duo Jucelio Torquato and Fabio Bernardes in the men’s doubles. They beat Colombians Carlos Torres and John Ortega in the final.

The competition will continue on Friday (24 March), the penultimate day of Sao Paulo 2017, with medals being decided in athletics, boccia, football 5, goalball, swimming, table tennis, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis.

Brazil continue to lead the medals table, followed by Colombia, Mexico and Argentina.

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Sao Paulo 2017 will run until 25 March and features over 800 athletes from 19 countries competing across 12 sports: athletics, boccia, football 5, football 7, goalball, judo, powerlifting, sitting volleyball, swimming, table tennis, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis.

The last edition at 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.