On Wednesday, 6 November , the opening ceremony of the “Commitment to Santiago 2027" project took place at the National Stadium Park. This project seeks to prepare athletes with intellectual disabilities for their participation in this major sporting event, which Chile will host.
The event featured part of the delegation that represented Chile at the 2024 Latin American Games in Asunción along with their coaches and families, as well as various authorities, including the Minister of Sports, Jaime Pizarro; the Undersecretary of Sports, Antonia Illanes; the Undersecretary of Education, Alejandra Arratia; the Deputy Director of SENADIS, Karen Astorga; and the President of Special Olympics Chile, Carolina Picasso. Also present were various representatives from schools that will collaborate with the sports organization.
Local Programs will be the official pathway for athletes to train and compete, with the goal of reaching the Santiago 2027 World Games. Thus, the commitment of special schools, regular schools, civil organizations, and institutions will be needed to ensure that athletes, with and without intellectual disabilities, actively participate in Special Olympics Chile activities.
Adding to this goal, the Undersecretary of Education, Alejandra Arratia, announced, “we currently have around 440 schools working in six regions of the country. We have set the goal of reaching all regions and increasing coverage to 10% of the country’s schools, which is equivalent to around 1,150 schools. That is our goal.”
“The mission is for 50% of those 440 schools, which work with sports, to be special schools. So, of the 440, half will be special schools, and the other half will be schools with school integration programs. We are going to explicitly focus on ensuring that all the work we do is oriented toward a vision of sport as a space for the development of a more inclusive society,” the undersecretary added.
Regarding the inauguration, María Alejandra Hernández, Director of Programs for Special Olympics Chile, explained, “this event was very relevant and important, as it kicked off what we have called the ‘Road to Santiago 2027.’ Thus, to achieve this historic milestone for inclusion, we need the entire country to get involved in inclusive physical activity and sport. And we can’t do it alone.”
Additionally, the ceremony recognized the educational institutions, sports clubs, and NGOs that have worked with Special Olympics Chile for years. “We are an organization that works in sports for people with intellectual disabilities, and we need to train more children, youth, and adults in physical activity, both in educational and competitive sports. Therefore, it is crucial to create quality spaces where they can train and then compete,” added María Alejandra Hernández.
“Road to Santiago 2027" is another step forward for Latin America, as it will be the first time that Games of this magnitude are held in the southern hemisphere. Thus, to reach all 16 regions and encompass all 22 disciplines, the support of everyone will be needed.
