Valledupar, September 4, 2025. The Aquatic Complex of the Universidad Popular del Cesar (UPC) was officially endorsed to host the swimming competitions of the Parasuramerican Games Valledupar 2026, after the technical visit led by the international technical delegate (DTI) of the organization, Alexandre Garrafa.
Alexandre Garrafa,
After the technical visit of the international technical delegate (DTI) of the organization, Alexandre Garrafa.
The inspection, carried out as part of the stage verification process, allowed to confirm that the pool has all the standards required by the World Para Swimming and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), both in technical matters and accessibility.
“Today we paid a visit to the pool, which is perfect. The organization, the meetings we had here, with the areas set aside for each task, each part, show a very advanced level of planning for the event we will have. This pool is one of the best I have seen in all of Latin America. A pool with ten lanes is not easy to find in the continent, especially with a deck, so this scenario is perfect for a competition.”, expressed Garrafa, who also invited the public to attend the Para swimming events, which in his opinion will be ‘a magnificent event, with a really beautiful environment.’
Garrafa said. The Para swimming competitions will be disputed from July 11 to 15, 2026, with the participation of 140 Para athletes from the continent and the delivery of 220 medals in total, being the Paralympic sport with more golden metals to be distributed and where more records of this regional event of the Paralympic Committee of the Americas will be beaten as the II Parasuramerican Games in history. Proven continental experience in Para swimming Continental experience in Para swimming. Alexandre Garrafa is a physiotherapist by profession, with notable experience as technical delegate of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee, swimming technical officer of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and was Sport Manager of Para swimming at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. With a track record of more than twenty years of experience, he has been technical delegate in world and Parapan American championships, in addition to leading international referee training processes in the continent. The endorsement of the international technical delegate reaffirms the commitment of the Organizing Committee of the Parasuramerican Games Valledupar 2026 and of the Americas Paralympic Committee (AmPC) to offer first class venues, ensuring excellence in every detail of the continental event that will bring together the best Para athletes in the hemisphere. 
