Castro will have over 1,000 games in the 39th edition of Jeca
Castro opens the 39th edition of Jeca this Saturday (30), with 43 institutions, over 1,000 games and 7,000 athlete participations.
The city of Castro, in the Campos Gerais, is preparing to receive the 39th edition of the Jogos Estudantis of Castro (Jeca), which will open officially on Friday (30), at 7 pm, at the Sports Gymnasium Padre José Pagnacco. The event will bring together students from the municipal, state and private networks, with a programming that includes more than a thousand games, cultural presentations and activities aimed at integration through sport.
In this edition, 43 educational institutions will participate in the games, which add up to 7,020 athlete registrations, distributed in 19 sports. In total, there will be 1,039 matches over 13 days of competitions, between October 31 and November 12.
Participants are between seven and 17 years old and represent schools in the urban and rural areas of the municipality. The same student can compete in more than one sport, so the number of registrations does not necessarily correspond to the total number of different athletes.
Opening will have rhythmic gymnastics and world champion kickboxing
The opening ceremony will feature the parade of the 43 participating institutions, artistic presentations, athletes’ oath and the lighting of the Olympic pyre.
One of the highlights will be the presentation of the Club Agir Gymnastica Rítmica, from Curitiba, with 21 athletes and three technicians. The group, which is preparing for the National Championship of the sport, also develops social projects aimed at the training of children and adolescents.
The lighting of the Olympic pyre will be in charge of the world champion of kickboxing Lívia dos Passos, in one of the most symbolic moments of the solemnity.
The program will also have presentations of the dance projects of the Municipal Secretariat of Culture and Gymnastics of the Municipal Secretariat of Sport. Another attraction will be the return of the mascots Vaca Aninha and Saporeco Toad, traditional characters of the Jogos Estudantis of Castro.
The organization also prepares tributes to two athletes of the municipality who died this year. The ceremony will be open to the public and will last between an hour and a half and two hours.
Competitions will have 19 sports
The sporting program begins on Saturday (31), with athletics, table games and table tennis.
Among the 19 disciplines are futsal, field football, Swiss football, volleyball, basketball, handball, athletics, badminton, burnt, chess, beach tennis, skate and fights.
The inclusion of the beach tennis and tennis is among the novelties of 2026. There will also be fight and skate festivals, expanding the possibilities of participation of students.
The games will be held in different sports spaces of Castro, including the Nazem Fadel Sports Complex, the Parque Lacustre, the Padre José Pagnacco Gymnasium, the Youth Center and other municipal and private structures.
The competitions will be divided into five groups, according to the age and the school stage of the participants.
To facilitate the presence of students from rural communities, the City Hall will provide transportation and food. The organization estimates approximately 8,500 meals intended for indoor participants during the games.
Jogos paradesportivos will have more than 700 shares
In addition to the Jeca, Castro will hold the 8th edition of the Jogos Estudantis Paradeportivo de Castro (Jepca), which will have more than 700 participations of paratletas from 20 educational institutions, including the Association of Parents and Friends of the Exceptional (APAE).
The number of institutions grew by approximately 33% compared to 2025, when 15 schools participated.
The program will have four modalities: athletics, golf 7, bocce and table tennis. Among the novelties are the inclusion of table tennis and new events in athletics, such as distance jumping and ball throwing.
The competitions begin on November 4, with athletics, and continue between the days 16 and 18. The closure will be held on November 19, at 7 pm, at the Padre José Pagnacco Gymnasium, with awards from the best-ranked institutions.
The growth of parasport in the municipality is also associated with the implementation of the Castro Paralympic Reference Center, linked to the Brazilian Paralympic Committee.
According to the Center’s supervisor, Herlon Gabriel Silva, the initiative has contributed to expanding students’ access to sports activities.
“The fact of this growth is also due to the creation of the Paralympic Center,” he said.
The project has three teachers who carry out activities in different regions of the municipality, including inland communities.
Castro already prepares historical edition for 2027
The games mobilize teams from the municipal secretariats of Sport, Education, Health and Public Security, responsible for supporting the organization, transportation, food and attendance to the participants.
In addition to encouraging sports practice, Jeca and Jepca seek to strengthen coexistence among students, stimulate healthy habits and promote inclusion.
The 2026 edition also paves the way for a historic mark: in 2027, Castro’s Jogos Estudantis will complete 40 editions, with special commemorative awards planned.
The detailed schedule of the modalities, with times and places of the disputes, will be disclosed through the official bulletins of the organization.
Read also: https://bntonline.com.br/prefecture-notifies-prime-delay-munchenfest/
