The president of the Panamanian Federation and the Central American Gymnastics Confederation, Carlos Herrera, made a general assessment of Panamanian gymnastics and announced future plans following Panama’s historic performance at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
In his speech, he described these last few months as the most outstanding for this sport, with Panama’s participation in the French Olympics, in World Cups, the growth of new talents and the acquisition of teams and venues, which guarantee Panama’s rapid growth in the region.
She announced that preparations for the National Championship are already in full swing in September and that in October, Panama will host the Pan American Rhythmic Gymnastics Camp, a camp that will be attended by two young athletes from each country from the American continent and experts from Brazil and Bulgaria. Panama will have the right to five athletes and two coaches.
For this Pan American Camp, in terms of equipment, the Panamanian Federation obtained an official rhythmic competition floor, certified by the FIG (International Gymnastics Federation), an essential implement that Panamanian athletes will have to better develop this discipline in Panama.
He also mentioned that Panama was awarded the title of host of the Pan American Aerobics Championship for National Teams and Clubs, scheduled for November 11-20 at the Hotel Panama Convention Center, with the participation of 600 athletes from the continent. After this Pan American Championship, a three-day Pan American Aerobics Camp will be held in Panama, with two athletes per country and a coach.
He stressed that Panamanian gymnastics will have another FIG-certified floor for Aerobics, and therefore he is asking Pandeportes for support to exempt taxes, since it will be used for the development of this sport and that it was purchased for 5 thousand balboas by federation management, when in reality its price is 30 thousand balboas.
In December, a FIG Aerobic Gymnastics Level 1 Academy will be held in Panama, where coaches from the region will seek certification at this level.
He recalled that we recently hosted the Parkour Tour, an event that took place in five countries in America, with the presence of high authorities from the International Gymnastics Federation and which also helped Panama obtain equipment valued at 70 thousand dollars.
He revealed that next year Panama will host the Pan American Artistic Gymnastics Championship, the most important event in the continent in this field, scheduled for June and that it is hoped that through Pandeportes, this event will be held in Atlapa, facilities that were visited by Morinari Watanabe, president of the International Gymnastics Federation; Naomi Valenzo, President of the Pan American Gymnastics Union (PAGU), among others.
The president of the Central American Confederation commented that he hopes to have the support of Pandeportes to manage this venue, which will turn Panama into the continental showcase of gymnastics, in the best style of a World Cup and with two FIG facilities, men’s and women’s, which would cost around 250 thousand dollars, to have a competition and training gym, a demanded requirement that will be maintained in Panama.
He added that, due to federal efforts, only 50 thousand balboas would have to be paid for this equipment, which will be used for Rhythmic, Artistic, Aerobic and Parkour sports, leaving pending the trampoline, for which work has already begun.
Our intention or goal, said Herrera, is that we can work together, the Government, the Mayor’s Office, Pandeportes and Tourism to realize this great project, a country management, that will impact the Panamanian economy and open the doors for future competitions of greater significance in Panama.
He also pointed out that the judging code, which is evaluated after each Olympics, will change next year and Panama offered to host continental courses to the Pan American Confederation, for the branches of men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, Aerobics and Parkour. It is also seeking to host the training of judges for the next Olympic cycle.
Finally, he pointed out that 2025 will be spectacular for Panamanian gymnastics, with our athletes Richard Atencio, Sebastian Sue, Hillary Heron, Karla Navas, Lana Herrera, Tatiana Tapia, Alyiah Lide and Ana Gabriela Gutiérrez, among others. He added that he feels proud that Panama was the only country on the continent that qualified three athletes for the World Championships and that it is currently the 5th best country on the continent in junior and senior women’s categories and that the goal is to improve this position, with a view to the next Olympic Games.
