by Ian Marshall, Editor

Notably, Brazil is very much to the fore. Toronto gold medallists, Aloisio Lima, Iranildo Espindola, David Andrade de Freitas and Paulo Salmin alongside Carlos Carbinatti are once again on duty, as is Luiz Guanieri Manara. Likewise the names of their female colleagues, Catia da Silva Oliveira, Joyce de Oliveira and Danielle Rauen all appear on the entry list.

Paulo Salmin starts very much the favourite to defend his title, he is the top seed in men’s singles class 7; similarly Luiz Guanieri Manara is the leading name in class 8. It is not a too dissimilar situation for Carlos Carbinatti; he is the no.2 seed in class 10 but the player who occupies the top seeded spot  is colleague Claudio Massad, the man he beat in the Toronto final.

Rather differently in class 1, Aloisio Lima does not appear amongst the seeded names; neither does Iranildo Espindola in class 2 nor David Andrade de Freitas in class 3. The respective top seeds are Argentina’s Fernando Erberhardt alongside Brazil’s Guilherme Marcio de Costa and Welder Knaf.

However, the Toronto champions can look forward in positive mood. Four years ago Aloisio Lima beat Fernando Erberhardt at the semi-final stage; in a group organised event Iranildo Espindola accounted for Guilherme Marcio de Costa, the eventual bronze medallist. Somewhat similarly, David Andrade de Freitas overcame Welder Knaf at the final hurdle.

Eyes very much on gold, in the women’s singles events, Catia da Silva Oliveira, the class 1-2 champion in Toronto is the top seed in class 2-3; she is listed one place ahead of Mexico’s Edith Sigala Lopez, the class 3 winner four years ago. In a similar vein, Joyce de Oliveira leads the line in class 4, Danielle Rauen, who in Toronto won class 9-10, is the leading name in class 8-10.

Brazil prominent; Chile is also a force with which to be reckoned; Matias Pino Lorca defends his men’s singles class 6 title, he is the no.2 seed, behind colleague Cristian Dettoni. Meanwhile, Cristian Gonzalez is the top seed in men’s class 4; in the women’s singles, Toronto bronze medallist, Tamara Leonelli, heads the class 5 list.

A notable challenge from Chile, it is the same from Argentina; in the men’s singles competition. Elias Romero is the most prominent name in class 5, in the women’s singles Giselle Muñoz is the top seed in class 7. She is one place ahead of Canada’s Stephanie Chan, the player behind whom she finished in second place in class 6-7 winner four years ago. Similarly, in Toronto, Elias Romero was a bronze medallist.

Stephanie Chan aiming again for the top prize but from North America the name to note is that of Tal Leibovitz, he heads the United States bid. Commencing in Brasilia in 2003, the now 44 year old has struck gold in the last four Pan American Games; in Lima he may well make it five.

Lima 2019 Para Pan American Games: Draws and Latest Results