The board of Special Olympics International and the Evaluation Committee ruled that Santiago de Chile is ready and prepared to organize a top-level sporting event such as the 2027 Special Olympics. The delegation visited the modern facilities of the Parque Estadio Nacional and other venues of the competitions, suggesting that the Chilean capital has standards similar to the great sports powers in infrastructure and road connectivity.

The Special Olympics are held every four years and are the largest inclusion event in the world, in which thousands of athletes with intellectual disabilities compete in 22 sports and are the true idols of hundreds of millions of people distributed in more than 175 member countries. from Special Olympics International.

The Chilean application was presented more than a year ago, but last year’s successful Pan American Games marked a before and after, accelerating the decision-making of local authorities with a strong commitment from President Gabriel Boric, who pointed out that “the Games World Cups and intellectual disabilities deserve to be treated with the same disposition and commitment that we have with sports in general. My government established inclusion in all its forms and manifestations among its priorities, therefore, we are going to support investment and provide the resources that are necessary for the success of the games.” This statement had a positive impact on the organizers of the games, because the amount available for the next three years will amount to 136 million dollars, considering that the sports venues are ready with The Legacy of the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.

“This is a dream”

For her part, Carolina Picasso, president of Special Olympics Chile, celebrated the announcement and valued the commitment that the country has acquired, “this is a dream. You can’t imagine how transformative sport is for people’s mental health. How can it motivate them, inspire them, feel that those moments, however fleeting they may be, help you, move you and make you happy.”

The Special Olympics World Games are taking shape, we have to wait for the official announcement on April 24 and, from that moment, many athletes will look at the map and search for Chile’s name and place in the world. For more than 8,000 athletes it will be the beginning of a dream to conquer their own challenges.