Election by PanAm Sports, the entity that brings together the 41 national Olympic committees in the Americas, decided this Friday (10) that the 2031 Pan American Games will be held in Asunción. The capital of Paraguay won the double candidacy of Rio de Janeiro and Niterói.
The election was held in Santiago, Chile. Assunção received 28 votes, while the Rio-Niterói duo received 24.
Assunção had competed to host the Pan-2027, but suffered defeat to Lima, in Peru.
Brazil hosted the Pan American Games twice: in 1963, in São Paulo, and 2007, in Rio.
Rio and Niterói estimated the costs of holding the games at R$3.8 billion, an amount that included operation, logistics and marketing costs, but excluded urban infrastructure works. The main promised work was the creation of metro line 3, connecting Rio and Niterói via Guanabara Bay, and the expansion of the VLT (Light Rail Vehicle).
Rio and Niterói had also signed a commitment to clean up Guanabara Bay, a promise that was also made for the 2016 Olympic Games, but was not fulfilled.
Assunção promises a national sports education and talent search plan as a legacy. Pan-31 also promises to be used by the local government to promote Paraguay internationally, attracting tourism.
Asunción will also host an inaugural match of the 2030 Football World Cup, which will be held in multiple venues — Spain, Morocco and Portugal, with opening games in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, as a tribute to the 100th anniversary of the first World Cup, in 1930, in Uruguay.
Assunção promises to build an accommodation village with 16 towers of 13 floors each and 8,448 beds, in 30 months of construction. The Paraguayan capital also wants to increase the country’s air network before 2031.
