Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, October 7, 2025.— The Universidad Panamericana AguascalientesUniversidad Panamericana hosted the Taekwondo Camp, with the participation of various national delegations and the Dominican Republic National Team as a special guest.
An international partnership to promote sports
The project was led by Professor Heráclio Hernández Palomir, coach of the Universidad Panamericana Aguascalientes Universidad Panamericana taekwondo team, who has been part of the university community for seven months and has enthusiastically promoted the growth of the sport within the institution.
With extensive experience in national and international competitions, Professor Hernández aims to establish the Universidad Panamericana a leading institution in this sport.
Thanks to his professional relationship with renowned coach Ireno Fargas—who was named the world’s best coach for ten consecutive years—Hernández was able to arrange a visit by the Dominican national team, which consists of 23 athletes and medalists from the Olympic and Pan American Games.
The Dominican Republic's national taekwondo team is currently preparing for the Pan American Games and the World Championships, which will be held soon in China.
The camp organizers received logistical support from the university's sports department, led by professors Luis Enrique Rejas and Víctor Domínguez, who coordinated the accommodations, meals, and general logistics for the event.
“This partnership demonstrates our commitment and vision for the projects we have in store for the campus tryouts. Without a doubt, having athletes from different regions and Olympic athletes from other countries on board enhances our prestige and increases our chances of continuing to establish ourselves as leaders in terms of the facilities and results in this sport,”, notes Luis Enrique Rejas.
High-Performance Training
During the camp, which took place at the university’s Poliforum Panamericano, approximately 170 athletes from six states across the country—including Sinaloa, the State of Mexico, San Luis Potosí, Saltillo, Hidalgo, and Aguascalientes—gathered, along with athletes from the Autonomous University of Aguascalientes, students from the Universidad Panamericana young people interested in joining the institution in the near future.
Coach Emmanuel Mateo, head coach of the Dominican national team, led specialized training sessions using Daedo Generation 3 electronic protective gear, state-of-the-art technology used in Olympic-level competitions. This allowed participants to train under real international competition conditions, thereby improving their technical and tactical skills.
Coach Heraclio Hernández emphasized the significance of hosting the entire national team in Aguascalientes, which is rare due to the logistical challenges involved. He also highlighted the positive impact this event had both domestically and internationally, as it captured the attention of the national and international sports communities.
Identifying University Talent
“This training camp was a great opportunity to showcase the quality of our facilities and the university’s commitment to athletic development. The plan is for this not to be the only one; we want to continue hosting international teams and strengthen our university team,”, the coach said.
For his part, Luis Enrique Rejas emphasized that these kinds of experiences are key to the students’ personal and athletic growth:
“Being able to provide our students with opportunities to meet, improve, and learn from different athletes from Mexico and abroad undoubtedly allows each of them, on an individual basis, to identify their role and their potential. I’m glad they were able to enjoy an experience that enriches their college life and athletic development, and showcases a sport that holds such historical significance for the Universidad Panamericana, he said.
Currently, the university taekwondo team has eight athletes, including Mariana González, a medalist at the 2025 National University Games, who will soon represent Mexico at an international university competition in Lima, Peru.
Commitment to a well-rounded education
Through initiatives like this one, the Universidad Panamericana its commitment to athletic excellence and the well-rounded education of its students, fostering talent, discipline, and the international visibility of its athletes.
