Three gold medals secured Colombia’s first-place finish as Rosario hosted the squash competition at the XIII South American Games.
Colombia finished at the top of the squash medal table at the XIII South American Games Santa Fe 2026, earning three gold, two silver and two bronze medals. The competition, held at La Rural’s Nave C in Rosario, Argentina, produced champions from Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Paraguay across seven events.
The XIII South American Games took place from September 21 to 26, 2026, across Santa Fe, Rosario and Rafaela, Argentina, with Rosario hosting the squash competition.
Singles Gold for Lucía Bautista and Diego Elías
Colombia’s gold medals came in women’s singles, men’s doubles and the women’s team event. Lucía Bautista led the individual success, defeating Ecuador’s María Moya 3–0 (11–7, 11–4, 11–5) in the women’s final. Paraguay’s Fiorella Gatti and Brazil’s Laura Da Silva completed the podium with bronze medals.
In men’s singles, Peru’s Diego Elías claimed gold with a 3–0 victory over Colombia’s Matías Knudsen, winning 11–6, 11–6, 11–3. Knudsen took silver, while Colombia’s Ronald Palomino and Argentina’s Jeremías Azaña earned bronze.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Doubles Titles for Colombia, Paraguay and Ecuador
Knudsen returned to the top of the podium alongside Andrés Herrera in men’s doubles. The Colombian pair defeated Ecuador’s Javier Romo and Álvaro Buenaño 2–0 (11–6, 11–10) to secure the country’s second gold medal.
Paraguay celebrated the women’s doubles title through Fiorella Gatti and Luján Palacios, who beat Colombia’s María Tovar and Andrea Soria 2–0 (11–10, 11–8). In mixed doubles, Ecuador’s David Costales and María Moya overcame Brazil’s Pedro Mometto and Laura Da Silva 2–1 (11–8, 9–11, 11–6). Colombia added another bronze through Ronald Palomino and Lucía Bautista.
Standout Surprises, Breakthroughs and Comebacks
Colombia’s emphatic win over Elías and Escudero was a standout result in the men’s doubles semifinals. Matías Knudsen and Andrés Herrera defeated the Peruvian pair 2–0 (11–3, 11–5), eliminating a partnership featuring the men’s singles champion before going on to win gold themselves.
Paraguay’s women’s doubles gold marked a historic breakthrough. Fiorella Gatti and Luján Palacios delivered the country’s first women’s doubles squash title at the South American Games, overcoming Colombia in straight games. Their victory stood out in a competition whose overall medal table was led by the Colombian delegation.
Gatti also produced a remarkable singles comeback. Against Peru’s Luciana Castillo in the quarterfinals, she recovered from two games down to win 3–2 (5–11, 9–11, 11–9, 14–12, 11–8). The victory secured her a place in the semifinals and the bronze medal she would ultimately take home.
Colombia and Peru Claim the Team Titles
The team finals on September 26 brought the competition to a close. Colombia’s Lucía Bautista, María Tovar and Andrea Soria defeated Ecuador 2–0 to win the women’s title and secure Colombia’s third gold.
Peru won the men’s team final, also defeating Ecuador 2–0. The winning squad featured Alonso Escudero, Diego Elías, Rafael Gálvez and Thiago Cabrejos. Ecuador took silver in both team events, while Argentina and Brazil shared the bronze medals in each.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Colombia Leads the Final Medal Table
Peru finished second in the medal table with two gold and two bronze medals, followed by Ecuador with one gold, four silver and one bronze. Paraguay’s women’s doubles victory and Gatti’s singles bronze placed the country fourth, ahead of Brazil and Argentina.
Colombia’s success across singles, doubles and team competition secured the overall squash title, with Bautista contributing to two gold medals and a mixed doubles bronze, and Knudsen earning men’s doubles gold alongside his singles silver.
Technical Officials and Refereeing Team
The squash competition’s technical and refereeing team was led by Leo Arozena, Technical Director, and Ramiro Maldonado, Tournament Referee.
The team also included the following referees and officials:
- Carlos Román
- Marcelo Salemme
- Neto Neto
- Roberto Parma
- Diego Guerra
- Eduardo Cohen
- Patricio Wade
- Rubén Arroyave
- Ricardo Manente
- Juan Echavarria
- Arthur Diegues
- Fábio Yamanaka
PanamSquash acknowledges the contribution of the technical officials and referees who supported the delivery of the squash competition in Rosario.
