South American Games: Pullaro unveils two game-changing Rafaela venues | OneFootball

The Invencible Rafaela and the new BMX Race track, two of the venues built for the Santa Fe 2026 South American Games, were officially inaugurated. The stadium has 3,085 seats and can expand its capacity to 6,500 people for other types of events. Pullaro said the works will allow the city and the region to host new competitions and shows.

Six days before the start of the 13th Santa Fe 2026 South American Games, Governor MaximilianoPullaro inaugurated in Rafaela this Sunday two of the projects transforming the city: Invencible Rafaela, a new multipurpose stadium, and the BMX Race track at the future Metropolitan Ecopark.

Pullaro led the inaugurations and said that what has been built has a purpose that goes beyond the two weeks of competition. “These are works that will remain for the people of Santa Fe and, in this case, for the people of Rafaela,” he said. “These are not just projects for the city, but for the entire region. It will bring a different scale.”

The governor said that having these spaces will make it possible to bring in new competitions, artistic and musical shows, and generate economic activity. “The challenge we have with these investments is for them to create jobs and economic growth,” he said.

Also taking part in the inaugurations were national deputy and former vice governor Gisela Scaglia; Rafaela mayor Leonardo Viotti; former governor Omar Perotti; the ministers of Public Works, Lisandro Enrico; Equality and Human Development, Victoria Tejeda; and Economy, Pablo Olivares; and the director of Economic Cooperation and External Financing, Gonzalo Saglione. Also present were authorities from the different branches of the provincial government, secretaries of the Governor’s Office, and representatives of sports federations, associations, and clubs.

A stadium that opens up new possibilities

Invencible Rafaela is located in the Youth District, near the South American Village. It has 3,085 seats, private boxes, 71 press positions, and areas for people with reduced mobility. For shows that also use the central field, its capacity can be expanded to around 6,500 people.

“There is nowhere else in the interior of the province a stadium like the one we are inaugurating,” Enrico stressed, also noting that it was built by a Rafaela-based company. The venue is prepared to host international competitions and a wide variety of indoor sports.

For Rafaela boxer Luka Colman, it is still hard to grasp what it means to have a competition of this kind in his city. “Very high-level athletes from across the continent are going to come, and we will have the opportunity to watch them and enjoy sport for free,” he said.

Mayor Leonardo Viotti also spoke about what will remain after September. “The South American Games in Rafaela are much more than the stadiums: it is everything that remains and comes to help our city grow,” he said. According to him, the works carried out over the last two years generated 700 direct jobs and more than 2,000 when indirect jobs are included.

BMX now has its track

The other inauguration of the day was the BMX Race track at the future Metropolitan Ecopark, designed in accordance with International Cycling Union (UCI) standards.

The circuit has two starting ramps, 8 meters high for the men’s category and 5 for the women’s, four straights, three banked turns, and a series of obstacles that will demand speed, technique, and precision.

On September 16 and 17, the new venue will host the Santa Fe 2026 BMX Race events. The same complex will also feature spaces for BMX Freestyle, Skate Park, and Skate Street.

What remains after the Games

The Province is carrying out an investment of more than 90 million dollars in works linked to Santa Fe 2026, of which 75 million correspond to financing from CAF -Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean-, in addition to contributions from the provincial treasury.

Senator for Castellanos department Alcides Calvo spoke of “a historic moment for Rafaela and the region” and stressed that the impact is not limited to the sports venues. “It is not only the stadiums and the tracks, but also the streets, the bike path, and all the infrastructure that remains. It belongs to all the people of Rafaela, and we have to take care of it,” he said.

Pullaro also recalled that the path for Santa Fe to become host began during the administration of former governor Perotti. “We do not see ourselves as founders. We understand that the things that are right must be continued,”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.