Venezuela’s youth badminton team achieved a historic milestone at the IV South American Youth Games in Panama, securing semifinal berths in all five disciplines contested. The accomplishment guarantees the nation at least five bronze medals in the badminton events, marking the country’s strongest-ever performance in the sport at the continental youth level.
The Venezuelan squad advanced to the semifinals in men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles after quarterfinal victories at the Instituto Técnico Superior de Panamá on April 22, 2026. According to official reports from the Venezuelan Ministry of Sports, the team’s success was characterized by dominant performances across all categories.
In men’s singles, Fabricio Rodríguez earned his semifinal spot with a straight-sets victory over Paraguay’s Marcos Rotela, winning 21-9, 21-9. Rodríguez will face Peru’s Guillermo Buendía in the next round after Buendía defeated Brazil’s Fhelipe Teixeira in a three-set match (23-21, 21-9, 21-15).
Barbara Lamas secured Venezuela’s women’s singles semifinal berth by overcoming Colombia’s Juliana Castaño in a closely contested match, winning 21-9, 21-19, 21-9. Lamas will next compete against Paraguay’s Sofía Rodas, who advanced following the withdrawal of Bolivia’s Vanesa Paniagua in their quarterfinal encounter.
The Venezuelan mixed doubles team of Fabricio Rodríguez and Barbara Lamas also advanced to the semifinals after defeating Argentina’s Milena Oliva and Máximo Retting in three sets (21-19, 22-20, 21-9). Lamas explained the team’s tactical adjustment in the deciding set: “In the third set we changed our game plan a little, it wasn’t such a fast game but more about placing the shuttlecock to disrupt them and us taking the initiative of the actions.” The Venezuelan duo will face Colombia’s mixed doubles team in the semifinals after the Argentines were defeated 21-19, 21-18 by their South American rivals.
Although specific results for the women’s and men’s doubles matches were not detailed in the available sources, the Venezuelan Ministry of Sports confirmed that both teams also reached the semifinals, completing the clean sweep of all five badminton disciplines.
This achievement represents Venezuela’s best-ever showing in badminton at the South American Youth Games. The bronze medals guaranteed by reaching the semifinals would surpass any previous badminton medal count for the nation at this competition level.
The success continues Venezuela’s recent development in badminton, following strong performances in national qualifying events. Earlier in April 2026, a team from Cojedes state won a regional classification tournament with 14 victories across various age categories and disciplines, highlighting the growing depth of badminton talent in the country.
As the Venezuelan badminton team prepares for their semifinal matches, they carry the confidence of quarterfinal victories and the historic significance of their achievement. The athletes now focus on converting their guaranteed bronze medals into potential silver or gold, with semifinal pairings set against strong competition from traditional powers Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, and Argentina.
The badminton competition at the IV South American Youth Games continues at the Instituto Técnico Superior de Panamá, with semifinal matches scheduled to determine which athletes will advance to contest the gold and silver medals in each discipline.
What’s next: The Venezuelan badminton team will compete in their respective semifinal matches at the Instituto Técnico Superior de Panamá, with dates and times to be confirmed by the event organizers. Follow the team’s progress through official channels of the Venezuelan Ministry of Sports and the South American Sports Organization.
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