November 2, 2026
An illustration celebrating Salvadoran student athletes and their achievements at the 2026 Paracodicader Games. AI-generated for Our Life in El Salvador; not a photograph of the actual competitors.
There is good reason to be proud of the young Salvadorans who represented their country at the XII Central American Games for Students with Disabilities in Guatemala. Their results reflect sporting talent, preparation and the work needed to compete at the regional level.
According to INDES’s closing report, El Salvador finished third overall with 53 medals: 20 gold, 21 silver and 12 bronze. Panama took first place with 27 gold medals, followed by Guatemala with 22.
A Strong Showing for El Salvador
The Salvadoran delegation included 152 athletes from primary and secondary school levels. They participated in para-athletics, para-swimming, goalball and exhibition boccia.
The girls finished second in the overall female standings, while the boys placed third in the male standings. INDES also reported runner-up finishes in para-swimming and para-athletics. The closing ceremony brought together participants from an event involving more than 700 students from the seven Central American countries.
These are young people balancing their education with the demands of training and competition. Their achievements deserve attention, along with recognition for the families, teachers and coaches who support them.
Goalball Team Defends Its Title
One of El Salvador’s strongest results came in boys’ goalball. Randy Pereira, Jordi Emilio Castellón, Gustavo Enrique Pérez and Diego Alexander Vásquez defeated Panama 15–8 in the final, successfully defending their regional title.
El Salvador led 9–4 at halftime and added six more goals in the second half to secure the championship.
The girls’ goalball team also earned a place on the podium. Andrea Danae García, Diana Victoria Paiz and Isabel Estrella Paiz finished with silver in their round-robin competition. Their results included a 7–2 victory over Nicaragua.
Boccia Adds Another Opportunity
Boccia appeared at these games as an exhibition sport for the first time. Salvadoran competitors earned several individual first-place finishes, and El Salvador also won the team event.
The winning team included Kevin Pérez, Melanie Dayana Sorto and Josué Flores. They defeated Nicaragua in an extra end and also beat Panama. INDES described the team’s awards as symbolic medals, so these exhibition results should be considered separately from the official medal tally.
Adding another sport creates more opportunities for students to take part in regional competition. That is a welcome development.
The Work Behind the Results
Óscar Portillo, a member of El Salvador’s technical commission, credited a year of preparation and the support of INDES and the Ministry of Education. His comments are a reminder that a successful competition begins long before the athletes arrive at the venue.
Continued progress requires places to train, suitable equipment, capable coaches and help reaching competitions. Those needs remain after the medals have been presented.
For me, that is an important part of this story. These students have shown what they can achieve when they have an opportunity to develop their abilities and compete. Supporting those opportunities should remain a priority.
Congratulations to El Salvador’s athletes and to everyone who helped them reach these games. They have given their families, schools and country something to celebrate.
Please like, comment and share this post to help recognize these young Salvadoran athletes.
Based on reporting from Diario El Salvador and official closing and competition reports from the Instituto Nacional de los Deportes de El Salvador (INDES). Medal figures follow INDES’s closing report.
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