By S.Browne. Updated 1:47 p.m., Wednesday, August 20, 2025, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
Seventeen-year-old Matthew Ballah and fifteen-year-old Hazen Dabriel, accompanied by Coach Anwar Medjahed, represented St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) at the Junior Pan American Games in Asunción, the capital of Paraguay, delivering record-breaking performances in the swimming competition.
Dabriel broke the age group (15 to 17) record in the 200m freestyle, clocking an impressive 2:05.93. He also competed in the 50m and 100m freestyle, setting personal best times in both events, further highlighting his growth and potential.
Ballah competed in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, and the 100m backstroke. He achieved personal bests in two of his three events and narrowly missed the SVG national record in the 100m backstroke by 0.01 seconds.
Coach Medjahed praised the athletes’ determination and performance, stating: “Both Hazen and Matthew represented their country with pride, discipline, and excellence. Competing at this level is a huge milestone, and they’ve proven that SVG has a bright future in swimming.”
This was the second edition of the Junior Pan American Games hosted in Asunción, Paraguay. The event ran from August 9th to 23rd, 2025, and welcomed over 4,000 young athletes aged 15 to 22 years from across the Americas, competing across 42 sporting disciplines.
The Black Sands Swim Squad stated: “The participation of SVG’s young athletes at the Junior Pan Am Games underscores the nation’s growing presence in regional and international sporting events, with a focus on nurturing youth talent and fostering sporting excellence.”
This information was sourced from a press release sent to us by the Black Sands Swim Squad.
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