Valledupar, April 18, 2026. With the official closing of the nominal registration of athletes, the II Parasuramerican Games Valledupar 2026 confirm its historical dimension: 1,105 Para athletes, coming from 12 countries, will compete in 13 sports and will dispute 310 gold medals, in what is projected to be the largest Paralympic sport event in South America.
Valledupar, April 2026.
The growth of the event is reflected in the expansion of the competitive map. Unlike the inaugural edition: (I Parasuramerican Games Santiago 2014), which brought together just over 600 athletes from eight countries, Valledupar 2026 incorporates new delegations that strengthen the continental projection of the Games. Bolivia, Paraguay, Suriname and Panama -the latter Central American country as a guest- make their debut in these Games, consolidating a more diverse and inclusive scenario for Paralympic sport.
The historical comparison also allows us to understand the evolution of performance and participation. In 2014, Brazil was already positioned as the largest delegation, closely followed by Chile, which ranked second as host country. For this edition, the constant is maintained: Brazil repeats as the largest delegation with 242 athletes registered, while Colombia, as host country, ranks second with 180 athletes nominally registered, replicating the natural dynamics of a Games that mobilize the organizing nation with greater force.
For Valledupar 2026, in terms of participation by countries, in addition to Brazil and Colombia, also stand out Argentina (174 athletes), Chile (135), Venezuela (125) and Peru (112), in a broad competitive environment that evidences the strengthening of the processes in the region.
From the sports, the protagonism falls on historical disciplines such as Para athletics, which will feature 192 athletes and the dispute of 81 gold medals, followed by Para swimming, with 133 athletes and 120 gold medals, becoming the two central axes of the program. Parasuramericano. Sports such as wheelchair basketball (144 athletes), sitting volleyball (125) and Para powerlifting (76) also registered high participation, which anticipates high-level competitions in multiple scenarios.
With an occupancy of 95% of the available slots and an operational distribution that will concentrate 1,014 athletes in Valledupar and 91 in the sub-venue of Agustin Codazzi, the Games are moving towards their realization with figures that reflect organization, call and international confidence.
Beyond the numbers, Valledupar 2026 represents an evolution of Paralympic sport in the hemisphere. Each registration is the confirmation of a process that transcends the competitive: it is inclusion, it is development and it is the consolidation of a scenario where the talent and overcoming of Para athletes will continue to write a new history for the continent.
