Paraguay to send 26 athletes to Youth Olympics

Asuncion, Sep 29: Paraguay will send a delegation of 26 athletes from six different sports to the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, the Paraguayan Olympic Committee (COP) said.

"This is an unprecedented delegation. We are sending 26 athletes, including those from two team sports - men's and women's beach handball and men's and women's beach volleyball - as well as archery, horse riding and swimming athletes," committee chairman Camilo Perez said on Friday after the delegation met with President Mario Abdo Benitez.

The sport secretary, Fatima Morales, said during the ceremony that the government is working on a plan to provide more grants for athletes, so they may "have a salary, avoid having to work and be able to devote themselves to their training."

"We hope they will bring home many medals," she said of the team headed to Argentina.

The delegation's flag-bearer, 17-year-old Fernan Alejandro Benitez, told reporters that is was "an enormous honor to carry the flag."

The Youth Olympics are open to competitors between the ages of 14 and 18, and 4,012 athletes - evenly divided between males and females - from 206 countries will compete in the 2018 Games in Buenos Aires.