Pan Am Games underway in Mexico

A Belizean delegation of athletes is preparing to face tough competition as they go up against countries from the Americas in the 2011 Pan American Games. It’s the second largest multi-sport event in the world and this year, it is being hosted in Guadalajara, Mexico. The Pan Am Games will see the participation of thousands of athletes in thirty-six disciplines. Belize, however, is only participating in athletics. Press Officer for the Mexican Embassy, Marcelino Miranda says it all gets underway with a grand opening ceremony tonight.

Marcelino Miranda, Press Officer, Mexican Embassy

Marcelino Miranda

“The Embassy of Mexico is inviting the Belizean public to enjoy the opening ceremony of the Pan American Games that are going to be held in the city of Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco. This is going to be a two week event and Belize is participating. A ten athlete delegation is attending these games and there will be different games and different sports so this is going to be the most important sport event in the Americas and the Caribbean. That’s the reason we are inviting the Belizean public to enjoy this event. It’s going to be broadcasted on different TV channels that you can watch here in Belize and along these two weeks there are different sports that are going to be broadcasted, especially the events in which Belizeans are going to be participating.”

Delahnie Bain

“What are some of the areas that will have Belizeans participating; some of the sport?”

Marcelino Miranda

“According to the Belize Olympic Committee the ten participants are going to be competing in athletics. So as far as I understand, they are going to participate in the one hundred, two hundred [meter] race, the long jump, triple jump, high jump and also it’s going to be two teams in the relays four hundred meters. There will be four women and six men who are going to participate.”

Delahnie Bain

“Outside of the athletics, what other sports will they have in the Pan American Games?”

Marcelino Miranda

“There will be different sports, from football to athletics to swimming. So it’s going to be very interesting. There will be something like thirty-six different sports and there will be almost like six thousand athletes from around the Americas and the Caribbean participating in these different sports.  There’s a special website that you can access, it’s in Spanish and English. It’s www.guadalajara2011.org.mx and this website, the Belizean public can access all kinds of information and also you can follow the different competitions and also the results.”

If you want to see the Belizean athletes in action, the athletics competition is next week so there’s still time to plan a trip across the border.