Juegos Deportivos Departamentales de Antioquia- Andes Olympics

This week is the “Olympics of Antioquia” and it takes place here in Andes!!! It was super cool to see how the whole park was set up as if it was the Olympics…. with a torch and everything. There are young athletes from all around the department of Antioquia staying here and the town is super full!

This is the 40th annual “Juegos Deportivos Departamentales” and it is a very important event for the whole region. I thought it was so cool that it takes place in my very own Andes but I realized it is not that random of a decision since Andes is the capital of the Suroeste (Southwest).

http://www.indeportesantioquia.gov.co/web/s/83/Departamentales

So many sports have been played since Dec. 7th and continue as well this week. Swimming, chess, archery, badminton, basketball, baseball, bicycling, boxing, soccer, micro soccer (played on a smaller court), judo, karate, weightlifting, skating rugby, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball and cheerleading are all part of these “olympic games”.

The park is full of young adults from all over Antioquia from Medellin and its suburbs to other pueblos…. I could name all of the parts but here is a map instead 🙂

I got to go to some games! I’m not the biggest sport viewer but who doesn’t get excited by a little inter-departamental competition? They have been boxing for days all day into late night…. I actually really enjoyed watching the boxing matches. People get so excited and there’s just so much emotion involved!!! Here is a boxing match during the day-

 and here’s the same ring at night with the “Olympic” torch lit.

Without a doubt my favorite game I saw was the woman’s basketball game Andes vs. Jerico (another pueblo that is known to be really beautiful like Jardin). These girls were absolute beasts and it was so exciting. Andes won by like 20 points!!!!!

A futbol match at the cancha in Andes. This night, Andes won in men’s futbol (soccer) and it was the same night as the women’s basketball win! Go Andes!