The ceremony left outstanding moments, but also criticism for logistics and duration at the Rommel Fernández.
The opening ceremony of the South American Youth Games 2026 left multiple sensations in the stadium Rommel Fernandezon a night full of emotion, culture and expectations for the start of the regional competition.
The good
Panama once again positioned itself as the venue for an international event, bringing together young athletes with the hope of representing their countries.
The parade of delegations was one of the most outstanding moments, especially due to the energy and pride that the athletes conveyed during their tour of the stadium.
The presence of historical figures of Panamanian sports also marked the day.
athletes like Irving Saladino (Olympic gold medal) and Atheyna Bylon (Olympic silver medal), along with references such as Alonso Edward and Kristine Jimenezcontributed symbolism to the ceremony, in a scenario where several generations of national sports do not always coincide.
In the artistic section, the show offered a sample of cultural identity. The presentations of Osvaldo Ayala, Jonathan Chávez and Margarita Henríquez stood out, along with the Puerto Rican artist Farrukoin addition to a display of dancers and folklore expressions from different regions of the country.
Bad
One of the aspects highlighted was the duration of the event, which at times seemed long.
Likewise, the protocol speeches, given by authorities such as the director of Pandeportes and the president of the Panama Olympic Committee, included institutional elements that, although specific to the event, reduced the dynamism of the ceremony.
On a technical level, some attendees reported that the sound during Farruko’s presentation did not have the expected power in certain sectors of the stadium.
The ugly
Regarding logistics, there were problems in the organization of volunteers and in the allocation of seats for part of the public.
Some people reported constant changes of location and lack of orientation at certain times before the start of the show.
It was also observed that sectors close to the main stage were not completely occupied by the athletes at the beginning of the ceremony, which diminished the visual impact in the first minutes of the event.
