It’s a long-running joke among Paralympic athletes that competitors in the Olympics are only brought in to “test” the venues for the “important“ event, which of course is theirs.

First held in 1999, the Parapan American Games for athletes with disabilities is traditionally scheduled two weeks after the Pan American Games.

Around 1,500 athletes from 24 nations will compete in the 4th Parapan American Games in Guadalajara from November 12 to 20.  Competition will be fierce as every one of the 13 sports will serve as classification for the 2012 London Olympics.

The opening and closing ceremonies will both be held at the Telmex Athletics Stadium on Saturday, November 12, 7 p.m. and Sunday, November 20, 7 p.m.

Tickets for the opening ceremony cost either 500 or 1,000 pesos, and 300 or 600 pesos for the closing ceremony.

According to Ivar Sisniega of the Pan American Games Organizing Committee, the Parapan opening ceremony will be simpler but still “contain many elements similar to the Pan Am ceremony.” Mexican pop star Yuri will be the headline performer.

Athletics events will be held November 14-17, starting 2 p.m. on each day, and on November 18, from 10 a.m. Swimming takes place Sunday, November 13 through Saturday, November 19, from 4-8 p.m. each day.

At press time, only tickets for both ceremonies, as well as the athletics and goalball competitions, were available online at www.ticketmaster.com.mx. Tickets can also be purchased by phone at (33) 3818-3800 or in person at Fabricas de Francia stores in Plaza del Sol and the city center, as well as Liverpool in Plaza Galerias.

From Monday, November 7, ticket booths at all the venues, as well as outside Expo Guadalajara and in downtown’s Plaza de la Liberacion, will start selling tickets for the ceremonies and 13 sports to be held in eight metro-area venues (see box page 3).  The majority of tickets will cost just 10 pesos but a select few with prime viewing spots will be available for 100 pesos.

In total, there will be 79 sporting sessions held during the eight days of competition.

The athletes will be housed in the Pan American Village, which will start to receive the visitors as of Monday. Brazil will have the largest delegation of 220 athletes. Mexico’s team numbers 199, the United States’ 175 and Canada’s 123. The smallest delegations are from Trinidad and Tobago and Bermuda. Each will be represented by one athlete.

The village and all the venues will be fully equipped with workshops to fix wheelchairs and other prosthetic equipment used by the athletes. Around 60 adapted minivans will transport athletes and their equipment around the city to the various venues, and the Jalisco Transportation Department  (SVT) will provide another 80 buses for the exclusive use of the sportsmen and women.

Speaking at a press conference Thursday to announce details of the games, Jalisco Family Development Agency (DIF) subdirector Luis Bernardo Lopez called the event “a great opportunity for us to change the way we look at disability. We want these games to break down barriers.”

PARAPAN GAMES SPORTS, VENUES, DATES

Archery: Pan American Archery Stadium November 15-17 (finals on 17th)
Athletics: Telmex Athletics Stadium November 14-18 & 20 (finals on all days)
Boccia: Multipurpose Gymnasium November 13-16 (finals on 16th)
Cycling: Pan American Velodrome November 13, 15, 16, 19 (finals on all days)
Football 5-a-side: Pan American Hockey Stadium November 15-20 (finals on 20th)
Goalball: San Rafael Gymnasium November 13-19 (finals on 19th)
Judo: Multipurpose Gymnasium November 18-20 (finals on all days)
Powerlifting: Weightlifting Forum November 17-19 (finals on all days)
Swimming: Scotiabank Aquatics Center November 13-19 (finals on all days)
Table tennis: CODE II Gymnasium November 13-18 (finals on 15th, 16th, 18th)
Sitting volleyball: Pan American Volleyball Stadium November 14-18 (finals on 18th)
Wheelchair basketball: CODE Dome November 13-19 (finals on 19th)
Wheelchair tennis: Telcel Tennis Complex November 13-18 (finals on 17th, 18th)