The President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, inaugurated this Thursday the High Performance Center Luis Carlos “Matador” Tejada, a grand complex of over 94 thousand square meters that will allow various sports disciplines to reach a higher level of competitiveness. This center will serve to train high-level athletes from our country and will host national and international sporting events in various disciplines, starting with the IV South American Youth Games 2026, which will be held from April 12 to 25 and will bring together 2,000 young athletes from 15 member countries of the South American Sports Organization (Odesur). “This high-performance center comes to settle a debt, to give concrete support to Panamanian talent, in world-class facilities so that the development of sport is accompanied by the State, guaranteeing the present and future of our glorious athletes,” highlighted President Mulino. “I want to express that I am proud to lead a government that is putting resources into concrete works. A sports project honors the legacy of Luis ‘Matador’ Tejada.” A new era in national sports begins today. The facility is equipped with sports equipment for all installations, as well as potable, sanitary, and stormwater infrastructure, exterior lighting, two vehicle roundabouts, sidewalks, storage tanks, a water treatment plant, green areas, and landscaping. The inauguration was attended by the Minister of the Presidency, Juan Carlos Orillac; the Secretary of Presidential Goals, José Ramón Icaza; ministers and vice ministers of State; the director of Pandeportes, Miguel Ordóñez; the mayor of the capital district, Mayer Mizrachi; Damaris Young, president of the Panamanian Olympic Committee; and prominent figures from national sports, such as Roberto “Mano de Piedra” Durán; the coach of the national soccer team, Thomas Christensen; and active and retired members of the national team. This project reaffirms the commitment of the National Government, through Pandeportes, to the transformation of Panamanian sport, betting on modern and functional infrastructure that will inspire new generations of athletes. “Soon we will deliver the Dely Valdés, in Colón; the Deportivo Complex of Penonomé and many more works that are for the use of all the Panamanian people,” he reiterated. For his part, the director of Pandeportes, Miguel Ordóñez, highlighted that this work demonstrates that the Mulino administration is betting on sport, and that it will continue to complete works in the rest of the country for the benefit of athletes and fans. During the event, the son of “Matador” Tejada, Luis, thanked the National Government and all those involved in the project for honoring his father's memory by naming the sports complex after him. The High Performance Center comprises over 18 thousand square meters of construction in enclosed areas and 76 thousand square meters in open areas. It includes an administrative building with physical rehabilitation and sports medicine clinics, a physical training gym, a hotel for athletes (40 rooms in double accommodation), a multipurpose sports building, a specialized center for gymnastics and combat, an aquatic center with an Olympic pool (with bleachers for 1,300 people), a warm-up pool, an athletics track, and a FIFA-sized soccer field. The project had a total investment of B/.58,530,550.69, generating employment for 345 people during its construction period. It also has 99 parking spaces in external areas (83 for visitors and 16 for administrative staff). The buildings are provided with electricity and special systems.
