Valledupar, October 2, 2025. In an official visit to the capital of Cesar, the president of Competitions of the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF Americas), Sileno Santos, made the technical inspection of the Basketball Coliseum of the High Performance Sports Unit La Gota Fria, a scenario that will host the men’s and women’s tournaments of this discipline during the Parasuramerican Games Valledupar 2026, to be held from July 4 to 9, 2026.
During his official stay, the international technical delegate of Brazilian nationality, confirmed the approval of the scenario after verifying the technical conditions, accessibility and functionality, highlighting the modernity and adaptation to the needs of Paralympic sport.
An international high-level visitor
.Doctor in Sports from the University of São Paulo and continental reference in the development of adapted basketball, Sileno Santos is one of the greatest experts in the discipline. He currently serves as President of Competitions of the IWBF Americas, a position from which he leads the technical planning and monitoring of the continental and qualifying wheelchair basketball championships.
His extensive career includes the direction of adapted sports programs at the ADD Sports Association for People with Disabilities, the vice-presidency of the Brazilian Committee of Paralympic Clubs (CBCP), in addition to the technical direction of the Brazilian national team at the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games.
Technical endorsement and projection towards Valledupar 2026
After his tour of the coliseum and meetings with the organizing team, Santos highlighted the quality of the facilities and the local commitment to the organization of the event: “The space of the basketball coliseum seems to me very adequate and modern, with facilities that will allow athletes to perform excellently. There is a very capable team here and I am sure that the Para athletes will be well taken care of by the organization,” said the international technical delegate.
He also confirmed the intention of participation of six women’s teams and nine men’s teams, of this branch, four teams will have to play a qualifying tournament to access Valledupar 2026. “Some of these teams will compete in the playoff to the World Cup in Ottawa in September 2026, which will serve as preparation for the most important event on the continent in our discipline,” he added.
In total, wheelchair basketball will bring together 144 Para athletes in competition (six selections in men’s and an equal number in women’s) and will award two gold medals to the champion of the competition, one for each branch.
With the technical endorsement of the IWBF Americas, the Valledupar 2026 Parasuramerican Games continue to strengthen its preparation as an international multi-sport event, which will turn Valledupar into an epicenter of inclusion, sporting excellence and the projection of the Paralympic movement in the continent.
