Panama names delegation for the 2026 Santa Fe South American Games

Panama is taking a 142-member delegation to the XIII Santa Fe 2026 South American Games, combining 90 athletes with coaches, officials and support staff.

The Panamanian Olympic Committee said the delegation will include 32 officials and coaches, 10 members of its multidisciplinary team, four communications staff and six members of the mission leadership. Panama will compete in 20 sports and 26 disciplines.

The Games will run from September 12 to 26 in Santa Fe, Rosario and Rafaela, Argentina, with additional venues in Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata. Gymnast Hillary Heron and archer Liborio Saavedra were chosen as Panama’s flag bearers during the Olympic committee’s extraordinary general assembly on September 1.

The South American Games began in 1978 in La Paz, Bolivia, under the name Southern Cross Games. The event involved about 480 athletes from six countries before later adopting its current name. Subsequent editions have taken place across South America, including in Rosario, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Medellín, Cochabamba and Asunción.

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Panama will be present in 20 sports and 26 disciplines, bringing to Santa Fe 2026 a team that combines talent, perseverance and determination to face every challenge.