Cancún Opens Pump It Up ‘Big One’ Tournament With More Than 700 Competitors

Cancún, Quintana Roo — More than 700 competitors and upward of 1,500 spectators packed the Kuchil Baxal gymnasium as Cancún inaugurated the eighth edition of the International Pump It Up “Big One” tournament, an event officials are using to expand the city’s sports tourism portfolio.

Benito Juárez municipal president Ana Paty Peralta led the opening ceremony, accompanied by Alejandro Luna López, director general of the city’s Institute of Physical Culture and Sport; councilwoman Landy Pantoja; and Raúl Jiménez, the event’s organizer.

The competition brings together top players of the rhythm-and-dance arcade discipline from across Mexico and abroad, drawing competitors, their families and visiting fans to the Caribbean resort city. City officials said the event helps diversify Cancún’s tourism offering beyond its traditional beach product.

Officials Tout Sports Tourism Push

Addressing the visiting delegations, Luna López said the city intends to keep hosting international competitions across a range of disciplines.

“Today Cancún opens its doors to all the delegations that are visiting us to be part of this great sports festival,” he said. “Welcome to a city that lives sport with passion and that recognizes the talent, discipline and effort of every competitor. Following the vision of our municipal president, Ana Paty Peralta, we continue to promote spaces so that sport is also an engine for community life, cultural exchange and sports tourism. We want every participant to take away a great experience of our city and for Cancún to remain a host of world-class events.”

Organizers said the tournament also gives visibility to emerging sports that combine coordination, physical endurance, skill and technology, while encouraging participation among young people.

Entry to the tournament is free. Competition continues through Sunday, when the finals are scheduled, and organizers invited Cancún families and visitors to attend at the Kuchil Baxal gymnasium.