With just days to go before the start of the Para South American Games Valledupar 2026, ParaVolley Pan America has finalized the international technical team that will oversee the historic debut of Sitting Volleyball in the event.

From July 4 to 8, the Coliseo Cubierto Julio Monsalvo Castilla will host the men’s and women’s tournaments, bringing together 120 Para athletes representing 10 national teams in one of the most anticipated competitions of the Games.

To ensure a competition conducted to the highest international standards, ParaVolley Pan America has assembled an experienced team of technical officials, classifiers, referees, media and competition personnel from across the Americas and beyond.

Joe Campbell will serve as Technical Delegate, assisted by Jason Trepanier as Assistant Technical Delegate. The classification panel will be led by Chief Classifier Rafael Gnecco De Proença, alongside classifiers Malcon Botteon, Haged El-Antably and Sugan Mariappan.

Competition operations will also include Phil Allen as Jury, while Thang Nguyen will serve as Referee Delegate and Referee Observer, joined in the observer role by Flavio Azevedo. Carolina Mitriani will oversee communications as Media Delegate.

The international refereeing team is composed of Weslane Sampaio, Gregory Hawthorn, Carlos Conde, Christian Battisti and Ema Vrataric. They will be joined by Colombian national referees Jonathan Ojeda, Raúl Julián Riveros and Fabián Camilo González, reinforcing the officiating team throughout the tournament.

Supporting the technical operations, Elisabete Leal will serve as Chief Scorer, coordinating the scoring team for all matches.

Behind every match, this multidisciplinary team will work together to ensure fair play, athlete safety, accurate officiating and the smooth delivery of every aspect of the competition.

ParaVolley Pan America extends its sincere appreciation to every official for their commitment, professionalism and dedication. Their work will help create an unforgettable experience for athletes, coaches, officials and fans while marking an important milestone for the growth of Sitting Volleyball in South America.

The countdown is almost over. In just a few days, Valledupar will welcome the continent for a historic chapter as Sitting Volleyball makes its debut at the Para South American Games.