Cali-Valle 2021 to celebrate run up to the first Junior Pan American Games with week-long torch relay

Organizers for the Junior Pan American Games Cali-Valle 2021 have revealed plans to host a condensed torch relay in the run up to the Games. The flame for the torch will be lit on November 17, with the torch playing a central role in the opening ceremony on November 25.

A ceremony titled, “Birth of Fire,” will be held at the Cristo Rey Monument outside Cali to light the flame for the torch on November 17. According to organizers, a group of Boys Scouts will light a bonfire that will be used to generate the flame for the torch.

The torch will then be displayed at the Colombian Olympic Committee and Ministry of Sports in Bogota on November 18. After a short rest, the torch will begin its journey to Cali on November 20, while passing through communities hosting the Games along the way.

Marcelo Vélez, coordinator of the torch route, stated, “we will have a tour that will visit the emblematic sites of each city, the old town, the sports venues and in general what identifies each venue of the Games, we will do it with sports and cultural exhibitions.”

“We want it to be an inclusive movement, not just gender, we want fifty percent of those who carry the torch to be disabled people, and characters from the city, from all circles, of all ages, of all ethnic groups, that everyone have participation, the remaining fifty percent will be athletes.”

While the design of the torch remains under wraps for the time being, Vèlez hinted at some aspects of the torch, commenting, “as happens with the medals that are inspired by birds, the design of the torch is related to their nest, the place where they are born and where they grow to fly.”

“Our legacy of sustainability with the planet also has to do with the flame, which will be produced with a Bio-fuel, an element that is friendly to the environment, it does not produce smoke or smell, it is not toxic, each charge lasts about 45 minutes and for the tour we will have 4 of them.”

The torch is scheduled to arrive at Pascual Guerrero stadium on November 25. The 2021 Junior Pan American Games will be the first regional international multi-sports games held since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. They are due to run from November 25 to December 5, and involve an estimated 3,500 athletes.