Guyana’s flag bearers for the Junior Pan Am opening ceremony Raekwon Noel and Sarah Klautky
The Defensores del Chaco Stadium was decked out for a party on August 9 to host the opening ceremony of the II Pan American Junior Games Asunción 2025.
Starting at 19:00h (7:00 pm), thousands of spectators enjoyed a programme filled with music, art, culture, and excitement, marking the official start of the most important youth multisport event in the Americas.
The evening began with an opening dance, the singing of the national anthem, and the parade of delegations, which filled the stadium with colour and energy, followed by artistic performances celebrating symbols such as tereré, traditional textiles, fauna, and flora, as well as the official hosts, Tiko and Tika.
The most anticipated moment was the parade of delegations, which filled the stadium with colour and energy, followed by an impressive drone show that lit up the sky over Asunción.
Then, the Pan American torch was brought in and the cauldron was lit, which will remain lit until August 23.
Guyana’s Junior Pan Am contingent
At the end of the ceremony, the formal part of the event took place with the raising of the Panam Sports and International Olympic Committee flags, as well as the speeches by the authorities.
Panam Sports President Neven Ilic motivated the more than 4000 young athletes by reminding them that they are “the new generation of American sports” and that every step they take will ignite the flame of inspiration in millions of children. He also thanked the families, coaches, and more than 3500 volunteers who make the sporting event possible.
A look at the fireworks that lit up the night sky in Asunción for the Junior Pan Am Games opening
Following the speeches by the authorities, the Paraguayan President, Santiago Peña, officially declared the Games open. Then, international artist Tiago PZK lit up the atmosphere with his music before a final fireworks display closed the night.
As expected, Guyana was a part of the celebrations in Paraguay with swimmer Raekwon Noel and Hockey Captain Sarah Klautky leading the Guyanese contingent as flagbearers.
