More than 200 athletes, coaches, medical staff, and assistants from La Pampa departed from the Santa Rosa bus terminal aboard three buses and three vans, heading toward Chile to compete in the XXXIII Juegos Binacionales de la Araucanía, Diario Textual reported. The provincial delegation left on a Saturday afternoon with the objective of fighting for top spots in both the general standings and the medal table across eight sports disciplines. The Subsecretaría de Deportes of La Pampa managed months of preparation and logistical coordination for the cross-border trip.

Families and friends gathered at the terminal to bid farewell to the traveling squad with embraces, traditional group photographs, and expressions of anticipation. The departure marked the beginning of a multi-day journey into the Región de Los Ríos, where regional youth from both sides of the Andes will gather for athletic competition and cultural exchange.

Venues Across the Región de Los Ríos

Competitions are distributed across multiple Chilean localities within the Región de Los Ríos, accommodating thousands of competitors from Argentina and Chile. Athletics, basketball, football, swimming, and volleyball events take place in Valdivia. Table tennis matches are hosted in Futrono, cycling occurs along the Río Bueno-La Unión sector, and judo competitions are held in Panguipulli.

The binational tournament brings together approximately 2,500 athletes from the Chilean regions of Ñuble, Biobío, La Araucanía, Los Ríos, Los Lagos, Aysén, and Magallanes. On the Argentine side, participating provincial delegations include Neuquén, Chubut, Río Negro, Santa Cruz, Tierra del Fuego, and La Pampa. Plan B Noticias noted that the Consejo Regional de Los Ríos approved an investment of $ 867.890.000, resources that are supplemented by $ 2.000 millones aportados por el Ministerio del Deporte, alcanzando un presupuesto total cercano a los $ 2.867 millones.

Competition Begins Monday with Opening Ceremony in Valdivia

Delegations arrive on Sunday to complete accreditation, check into hotels, and participate in the technical congress. Competition matches and events begin Monday morning. The official opening ceremony takes place Monday evening at 20:30 local time in Valdivia on the costanera esplanade near the former heliport, featuring welcoming speeches, a show, and Kaum, the black-necked swan mascot representing the region’s natural identity.

Ceferino Almudévar, the subsecretary of sports for La Pampa and president of the General Council of the Games, highlighted the financial challenges of staging the event. Almudévar stated that maintaining the binational games amid the economic constraints faced by Patagonian provincial governments represents a true feat, noting that the provincial government makes a significant effort because of its responsibility toward regional youth.

Expansion Toward the Juegos Para Araucanía

Following the conventional tournament, athletic programming in the region continues with the integration of adaptive sports. Diario Textual reported the scheduled debut of the Juegos Para Araucanía, planned for November 9 to 12.