What Happened
Panama capped a big day for its delegation with a dominant 64-0 victory over Venezuela to win gold in the women’s flag football tournament at the 2026 South American Youth Games.
The team took control immediately, with Jeaneth Torres opening the scoring on a touchdown reception on the first drive. From there, Panama never let up and turned the final into a one-sided showcase of speed, execution and depth.
Alejandra Ramos led the offensive surge with four touchdown passes, one receiving touchdown and four additional points on extra-point attempts. Lucía Rodríguez added three touchdown passes, while María Fernanda Castillo recorded four touchdown catches. Valentina Rodrigues also made her mark with one touchdown through the air and another as a receiver.
A Winning Day for Panama
The women’s gold came after the men’s flag football team had already secured silver in a narrow 34-32 loss to Brazil. Together, the two results gave Panama a standout finish in a discipline that has been gaining momentum in the country.
The strong showing also reflects the rise of flag football across Panama in recent years. The sport’s growing profile is now carrying over into major regional competition, where Panamanian teams have emerged as contenders on both the women’s and men’s sides.
What Comes Next
The performance arrives with more international competition ahead. Panama is set to take part in the World Championships in Düsseldorf from August 13 to 16, where it will compete in Group D against Italy, France and Great Britain.
The results at the youth games strengthen Panama’s position as one of the region’s rising programs in flag football. With a gold medal on the women’s side and silver on the men’s, the country leaves the event with clear evidence of progress in a sport that continues to expand its competitive reach.
Panama also collected another medal earlier in the day, when the men’s football team defeated Bolivia 4-1 to take bronze, adding to the country’s strong overall showing at the games.