News

Santana Franco, Ferreira da Silva lead Brazil's golden haul at Para South American Games in Valledupar

15 July 2026

Valledupar, Colombia

Real name:

Brazil's Eugenio Santana Franco proved age is no barrier as the 66-year-old claimed the W1 men individual gold medal at the Para South American Games in Valledupar, Colombia.

The world number eight and top seed defeated Chile's Victor Manuel Saiz Bocaz 6-2 in the final to secure his first international title since winning gold at the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games. It was also Saiz Bocaz's second individual international medal following his bronze at Santiago 2023.

Earlier in the competition, Santana Franco teamed up with Juliana Cristina Ferreira da Silva to win the W1 mixed team title, defeating hosts Colombia 6-0. Ferreira da Silva, the 2024 Pan American Para Championship and the top seed in Valledupar, completed a golden double by defeating Chile's Mariela López Carrasco to win the W1 women individual title.

Brazil's dominance continued in compound women, where former world number one Jane Karla Gogel defeated fellow Brazilian and top seed Helena Nunes de Moraes 129-125 to claim the individual gold medal.

The pair had earlier combined to win the compound women's doubles title with a commanding 138-114 victory over Colombia.

Santana Franco, Ferreira da Silva and Gogel were among the five Brazilian para archers who represented the country at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

A new champion emerged in compound men as Ecuador's Joffre Javier Villavicencio Galecio secured the biggest victory of his career. The third seed, who won mixed team silver at Santiago 2023, maintained a narrow advantage throughout the final to defeat Colombia's top seed Cristian David Correa Alvaran 128-122.

Hosts Colombia celebrated success in recurve men through local favourite Héctor Julio Ramírez.

The Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games bronze medallist recovered from a slow start to defeat compatriot Jairo Fabián Burgos Rincón 6-2, winning the final three sets after trailing early in the match.

The Colombian duo had earlier teamed up to claim the recurve doubles gold, defeating Brazil 5-1. Julio Ramirez also paired with Maira Alejandra Mosquera Rocha for the recurve mixed team gold, again overcoming Brazil by the same margin 5-1.

Peru's Daniela Cecilia Campos Marzano secured her country's only gold medal of the competition after overcoming home favourite and top seed Mosquera Rocha 6-4 in the recurve women final.

The world number nine recovered from a difficult opening that included a one-point arrow before fighting back to claim her first international title since the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games.

In the visually impaired category, Brazil's Gustavo Mendes De Araujo defeated Ecuador's Gabriela Tatiana Pilco Romero 6-4 to claim the second international title of his career. The first visually impaired champion crowned at the 2022 Pan American Championships added another major title to his growing résumé with victory in Valledupar.