1000 DAYS REMAIN UNTIL AMERICAS' GREATEST SPORTS FESTIVAL COMES TO SANTIAGO, CHILE

SANTIAGO, CHILE (January 22, 2021) — It seems like just yesterday when the President of Panam Sports, Neven Ilic, handed over the Panam Sports flag to the President of Chile, Sebastian Piñera, at the Lima 2019 Closing Ceremony, signaling the official relay to the new Host City of the most important multisport event in the world after the Olympic Games.

The Covid-19 Pandemic seems to have stopped time and made us feel like 2020 passed without us realizing it. But since that magical night on August 11, 2019, 530 days have already gone by and we have moved on from that wonderful and historic event, now completely focusing on plans for Santiago 2023.

The Santiago 2023 Corporation, the Chilean Ministry of Sport and the Chilean Olympic Committee have not rested sine the official hand-off, and continue to work at full speed to be ready to give a warm welcome to the more than 11,000 athletes and officials who will attend the Games in 2023.

And tomorrow, January 23, marks precisely 1,000 days until the cauldron is lit in the National Stadium of Santiago and the 19th edition of the greatest sports festival of the Americas begins again.

To commemorate such an important date, and due to the contingency of the pandemic, Chileans have prepared a reduced but significant ceremony to celebrate the beginning of this 1,000-day countdown.

In Cerrillos, the community where construction of the iconic Pan American Village will begin in a few more months, the Santiago 2023 Corporation will deliver a remodeled multi-court for the entire community. This will be a significant milestone for the Legacy that the Games will leave in the Chilean capital, not only in terms of infrastructure, but also a social, cultural and emotional legacy. The goal is for the society to view and value ​​sport as a complement to life, an escape from bad habits and a solution to living a longer and healthier life.

The Countdown Ceremony is scheduled for Monday, January 25, where government authorities, the Santiago 2023 Corporation, community leaders, athletes and of course, representatives of Chilean society will be invited. These last two groups will be the great beneficiaries of this continental sports festival.

"We are less than three years away from one of the most important sporting events that we can enjoy in Chile. We are very happy with the great progress, and even more happy with the legacy that the Para and Pan American Games will leave for sports, citizens and our entire country," said the President of the Santiago 2023 Corporation and Sports Minister, Cecilia Perez.

"We have not even realized it and we are already 1,000 days away from Santiago 2023. Time flies by and we must not waste any time. Both the Corporation, the Olympic Committee and the Government of Chile are 100-percent committed to the Games and are, despite everything that comes with the Covid pandemic, working tirelessly and have been moving forward with everything that we have requested. There is a lot of motivation and desire for everything to be fantastic and that the first Pan American Games to be held in Chile are historic and unforgettable," said Panam Sports President, Neven Ilic.

For all the information about what happens in the 1,000 days event and all the news and advances of the XIX Pan American Games of Santiago 2023, you can visit our website www.PanamSports.org and the official website www.santiago2023.org and on social networks: @panamsports and @santiago2023oficial and @santiago2023.

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