Cali, Colombia. The sport keeps moving on after the end of the Tokyo Olympic Games. After the five rings event, a key meeting was performed in Colombia, within the first edition of the Junior Pan American Games, the Host City contract was signed with Panam Sports, so Barranquilla becomes the house of the XX Pan American Games.

The largest sport event in the Americas, which next edition will be our capital city in Santiago 2023, will be performed in one of the largest cities of Colombia, after the country’s president Iván Duque; the president of the Colombian Olympic Committee, Ciro Solano; the governor Elsa Noguera; and the Barranquilla Mayor Jaime Pumarejo; together with Panam Sports President, Neven Ilic, signed the agreement that will determine the destination of the XX Games.

With a vast experience in the organization of sports events, such as the matches of the Colombian Football Soccer Tea mor the 2018 Caribbean and Central American Games, Panam Sports believes that Barranquilla city has all the requirements to offer a world-class event such as the Pan American Games, highlighting the great sports infrastructure and, above all, the passion of their people for admirable sports.

This is the reason why the Executive Committee of Panam Sports along with the support of the member countries chose to give the confirmation to this emerging city, and to Colombia, the organization of the most important multi-sport event after the Olympic Games, and that will be a qualifier for Los Angeles 2028.

“This designation that Panam Sports is doing, represents a special acknowledgement to a country that has shown an unconditional commitment with the sports development of the continent. This is why our member countries have decided to grand the host city of our main sports event of 2027 to the beautiful city of Barranquilla”, pointed our President Ilic.

The head of the Americas Olympic Committees added that he “wants to thank president Ivan Duque, for the complete support that he has given us in this period. We know the effort he has made, along with all government and sports authorities from Cali and Barranquilla, for the sport in the continent, and for the youth of the Americas who, undoubtedly represent our future”.

Colombia will be the house of the Games for the second time in its history, after in 1971, Cali was chosen as the host city for the VI Pan American Games. “It is this government that has supported the Junior Pan American Games and we decided to move forward with them because it was a message to the world showing that not even a pandemic will keep us from dreaming big. They have our support and backup. I want that this not only becomes a Barranquilla or Atlántico project, this is a country project”. Mentioned the Colombian President, Iván Duque.

On her part, the Minister of Sports and President of the Santiago 2023 Corporation, Cecilia Pérez, expressed her congratulations to the Caribbean country, stating that “we are very happy and thrilled with the confirmation of Barranquilla 2027, the location of what will be the historic event that we will have in our country with the execution of the Santiago 2023 Pan American and Parapan American Games. In Chile we are working full speed and meeting all our deadlines to have an exemplary event and that allows us to leave a beautiful memory to what will be the next chapter of this history in Colombia”.

Felipe de Pablo, CEO of Santiago 2023 also offered some words in addition to the Ministers’ “we wish all the success to the Host City that will follow after our Games. We are completely sure that, along with Panam Sports, we will continue working to make better Games”.

Several noteworthy athletes were present in this Ceremony: the silver medalists for the 400-meter sprint and women’s race-walk in Tokyo 2020, Anthony Zambrano and Sandra Arenas, the double Olympic BMX medalist Carlos Ramírez, and one of the top idols in Colombia, and especially for Barranquilla, Edgar Rentería, among others.

With this selection of Barranquilla as a Host for the 2027 XX Pan American Games, the sports agenda of the following years sets out like this: 

November 2021: Cali-Valle 2021 Junior Pan American Games (Colombia)

October 2023: Santiago 2023 Pan American Games (Chile)

July 2024: Paris 2024 Olympic Games (France)

2027: Barranquilla 2027 Pan American Games (Colombia)

July 2028: Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games (United States)