Following the success of Lima 2019 and Barranquilla's disqualification for breach of contract earlier this year, Lima has now secured its position as host of the Pan American Games for the second time in eight years.

Just as Asunción, Paraguay, seemed on course to host its first Pan American Games, Lima stepped in and snatched the dream of hosting the world's most important sporting event after the Olympics.

Considerable investment, ample infrastructure from previous Games, significant government support and, above all, a firm commitment from the outset by Renzo Manyari, President of the Peruvian Olympic Committee, to work towards hosting the continent's most important multi-sport event.

The 'City of Kings' won by 28 votes against the Paraguayan capital, which also proposed the young El Salvador as a sub-venue for surfing. In reality, it was Peru against Paraguay and El Salvador, which has one of the continent's most popular presidents.

These Games had to be humanistic and put the athletes first. Government support was crucial, but more than that, Peru's unwavering democratic culture of state continuity ensured that the Games would continue regardless of changes in government - unlike the sanctioned Barranquilla, which seemed to lose interest when Gustavo Petro took over as Colombia's president.

Now is the time for action, to turn rhetoric into reality. They will have to organise the Games in four years' time, drawing on the experience of having done it successfully four years ago, but also knowing that they have to get to work quickly.

In the immediate future, there will be a review of the contracts with Panam Sports, Legacy and the national authorities. One point in the Peruvian committee's favour is their reluctance to deal with public funds, ensuring a clean, honest job away from the influence of the current administration. They know they'll have to coordinate contracts with Panam Sports and payment schedules, in addition to the sporting aspect, of course.

The budget is around $370 million, $40 million more than Paraguay and El Salvador combined. It's not just about the infrastructure. The special legacy project is working well, the human team is excellent: there are six World Cups this year alone, five or four of them in August. This is the paradigm shift, the legacy, that the IOC and Panam Sports so often talk about. This also helped secure the hosting rights, as was discussed after the vote.

Sportswise, cricket, lacrosse, flag football and squash have been added. These are four new sports in the Olympic programme for Los Angeles 2028. This will require an increase in the number of beds in the Athletes Village to 9,800. Of course, with the increase in beds, the Athletes' Village will need to be expanded to include five 10-storey towers.

There are areas for improvement, such as rowing, with Huacho being considered; the idea is to have it in La Punta, Callao. This is a project being considered by the regional government, with a water sports centre in Callao that would accommodate canoeing disciplines.

Three important projects need to be carried out. From a budgetary point of view, it's also important to consider the broadcasting rights, especially with Panam Sports. In addition, the mayor of Lima (Rafael López Aliaga) has announced the largest investment in the city's history in terms of infrastructure, totalling around 1.3 billion dollars.

The work will include the renovation of the Jorge Chávez International Airport to accommodate 50 million passengers.Commenting on the lavish spending, which will amount to $1.67 billion - a very high figure for a South American country that has been growing in recent years but is not exactly in a position to waste money - Renzo Manyari, president of the COP, said that it was an investment and that sport also contributes to health prevention.

"With the Pan American Games, you also create sustainable and long-lasting sports facilities. With the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, we generated economic benefits because we received many tourists. There was a sporting development among the Peruvian delegations; they achieved the best sporting results in Peru's history," said the person primarily responsible for ensuring that the Games will be held in Peru again, without a definite date.

Although the Organising Committee proposed at the meeting that the Games be held in September 2027 to avoid both the heat and the cold of the South American winter, the date remains open for future coordination with Panamanian Sports and other sporting organisations".