Paraguayan president Santiago Peña last week underscored his nation’s bid to host the 2030 Youth Olympic Games with a visit to International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach at IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. While visiting, Peña signed the Olympic Golden Book.
Joined by Paraguayan Olympic Committee president Camilo Pérez López Moreira, Minister of Sport César Ramírez and national Olympians Peña underscored the country’s foundation to host the Games.
“We are determined to build on our extensive experience in hosting impactful and sustainable events,” Peña said.
“Paraguay is proud to be one of the host nations for an opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2030, and adding the Youth Olympic Games would serve as a powerful catalyst for our national development. We are committed to building a better future for our young people, and hosting the Youth Olympic Games would align with our mission.
Paraguayan capital Asunción will host the Junior Pan American Games this year from August 9 to 23.
Minister Ramirez added “Sport is a fundamental pillar of Paraguay’s national agenda.”
“A Committee for the Organization of Major Sporting Events has been established to ensure the successful delivery of major competitions.
“The collaboration between the Paraguayan Olympic Committee and the Government includes a High-Performance Plan that supports athlete development, talent identification, and the creation of the National Games, with the aim of decentralizing sport and reaching every corner of Paraguay.”
Other nations have expressed interest in hosting the 2030 edition including India as a run-up to the proposed 2036 Olympics and Copenhagen, Denmark after the culture and leisure minister allocated funds to study the project. The IOC has not published a list of interested bidders since 2019 when the site selection process became more secretive.
There is no set schedule for the election of Youth Olympic Games hosts. The next edition is scheduled in Dakar, Senegal in 2026 – the first Olympic event ever to be held in Africa.
The Youth Olympic Games debuted in 2010 in Singapore and has since been hosted by Nanjing, China and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Dakar was elected to host in 2022 but the Games were pushed to 2026 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Games are typically staged every four years for athletes between 15 and 18 years of age. A Winter edition is also held each quadrennial two years after the Summer event.
