Peruvian athletes, who claim medals at international competitions, bring hope to the country’s future, President Ollanta Humala affirmed.
According to the Head of State, his administration "will continue promoting sports" by setting aside more resources and infrastructure.
During the recognition ceremony to honor national athletes -who won medals at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games- the President said Peru "is a country, which gradually faces adversities and moves forward with our athletes."
He highlighted the delegation’s participation in the mega sports event, where the Peruvian team claimed 4 gold, 3 silver and 6 bronze medals. Thus, it surpassed performances displayed in previous editions. Peru was ranked 12 among 41 nations.
"These medals and the recognition of the country are triumphs Peruvians share," Mr. Humala told.
In this framework, the President urged athletes to continue getting ready for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games with the aim of showing the world the Peruvian sports' progress.
He went on to add his administration has set aside an additional S/.1.2 billion (about US$377 million) fund, which will be added to the more than S/.2.0 billion (about US$629 million) already allocated for sports infrastructure.
The athletes were granted prizes worth a total of S/.550,000 (about US$172,000).
(END) ASH/MVB