Sunday, November 19th, 2023.- Colombia secured its second match in the preliminary phase of mixed wheelchair rugby at Santiago 2023, defeating Chile 56-26 at the Estadio Nacional’s Centro de Deportes Colectivos.
The Colombians, ranked tenth globally, took the initiative from the early stages and were vastly superior throughout the 32 minutes. Despite all their efforts and the support of the packed crowd, Chile couldn't alter the course of the game. They made too many mistakes and lost possession 20 times, ultimately paying the price.

Colombia played the second quarter with two women who displayed great potential. Meanwhile, Jenny Barraza played the third quarter for Chile.

The standout player of the match was the Colombian David García, who scored 21 tries and made five steals. His teammate Christian Ordoñez added 12. Once again, Christian Madariaga was the top performer for Chile, with 10 tries and two steals.

The quarter scores were 16-7, 15-8, 14-5, and 11-6, resulting in a final score of 56-26 for Colombia, which aims to at least replicate the bronze medals won at both Toronto 2015 and Lima 2019.

David García, the leading scorer of the match, said, “It was a good game. We made good tactical changes, and we've come to win and enjoy the landscapes of Chile.”

It's worth noting that this sport was developed in Canada in the 1970s by athletes with quadriplegia and combines elements of rugby, basketball, and handball. It depends on limitations in arm and trunk function but does not affect skills such as ball handling (catching, passing, carrying the ball) and wheelchair handling (starting, stopping, turning, tackling, and blocking opponents).

Furthermore, it is a well-established Paralympic sport, with 28 countries in the world ranking, and another 10 developing their local programs.

Written by Esteban Gómez; translated by Rocio Rojas / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport
Photo by Pepe Alvujar / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport