Sunday, November 19th, 2023.- Para Table Tennis continues to achieve significant milestones for Chile at the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games. After Saturday's session, which resulted in four gold medals for Team ParaChile in this discipline, the outlook on Sunday was equally promising for the quest for medals in various categories. 

The pairing of Tamara Leonelli and Maximiliano Rodríguez was one of the stars of the day. They defeated the Mexicans Francisco González and Martha Verdin by 3-2, with scores of 7-11, 11-2, 11-5, 11-6, 11-7, advancing to the final in the XD10 Mixed Doubles category, in the match held at the Centro de Entrenamiento Olímpico. 

The decisive match for the gold medal will be played on Monday starting at 6:00 p.m. local time, pitting the Chilean duo against Joyce De Oliveira and Fabio Souza from Brazil. 

In the XD14-17 Mixed Doubles category, quarterfinals, the Chilean pair composed of Florencia Pérez and Ignacio Torres defeated the Canadian duo of Chim Hing Chang and Asad Syed by 3-0, with scores of 11-6, 11-7, and 11-5. 

Also on Sunday at Santiago 2023, in XD20 Mixed Doubles qualification, Aylin Espinoza and Manuel Echaveguren defeated the Colombian pair of Álvaro Puerto and Yessica Alzate by 3-1, with scores of 13-11, 11-7, 11-8, and 11-4. 

In other results, in XD14-17 Mixed Doubles, quarterfinals, Joseline Yevenes and Matías Pino fell to the Argentine pair of Darío Neira and Giselle Muñoz by 3-1, with scores of 6-11, 11-7, 11-9, and 11-9. 

In the MD18 Male's Doubles category, quarterfinals, Claudio Bahamondes and Manuel Echaveguren defeated the Argentinian pair of Darío Neira and Alejandro Pérez by 3-1, with scores of 14-12, 11-6, 11-6, and 11-9. 

Another significant victory for Team ParaChile was achieved in XD20 Mixed Doubles, Group B, where Aylin Espinoza and Manuel Echaveguren prevailed against the Brazilian duo of Claudio Massad and Allana Maschio by 3-1 with scores of 13-11, 5-11, 11-7, and 11-9. 

It's important to note that Para Table Tennis is an inclusive sport for athletes with physical and intellectual disabilities, featuring individual, team, and doubles events in both male and female categories. Athletes compete in 11 classes based on different degrees of disability: wheelchair (classes 1-5), standing (classes 6-10), and intellectual disability (class 11). 



Written by Ernesto Bustos B. – Arturo Hernández; translated by Pía Barriga Ferry / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport 
Ph: Dragomir Yankovic / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport