At around 2:00 p.m. this Thursday, April 9, in the presence of Panama’s First Lady, Maricel Cohen de Mulino, the South American flame was lit at Parque Omar, accompanied by the torch’s cauldron flame and the music of the band from the Sistema de Protección Institucional (SPI).
On this sunny afternoon, the athletes in charge of the relay were Sergeant Second Class Alex Jorge, a cycling athlete; Chamar Chambers from athletics; and footballers Alexa Ortega, Cristabella Ríos, and Alison Samudio, who carried the torch along its route for the South American Youth Games Panamá 2026, just three days before the opening of this major sporting event.
The General Director of the Games, Anamae Orillac, who began this torch journey in Rosario, expressed her excitement and highlighted that Panama is ready and “at another level” to welcome the athletes and help both them and the country shine. She also invited those present to attend the sports venues and enjoy the competitions over the 13 days of the event.
Panama’s First Lady, Maricel Cohen de Mulino, shared these words: “I would like to congratulate you and wish you the best of luck in these Games. Panama is with you as always; we know the effort you’ve made to be here”.
Looking ahead to the South American rivals and speaking about preparation, Cristabella Ríos, defender for Panama’s U-17 Women’s National Team, said: “We’ve never played against them before. We know they have a very high level, but we also know our level and we have the potential to compete against them”.
Meanwhile, the official mascot Antón “La Rana Dorada,” after traveling across the country carrying the torch and spreading a message focused on education, sport, and biodiversity, arrived in the capital city accompanied by mascots from sponsors, including Burger King, Harpí from the Olympic Committee, Pascualín from Pascual, Goly from Machetazo, Zambo from Caja de Ahorros, and Café Durán.
