They pay posthumous tribute to Roberto Abugattás, athletics champion and protagonist of an emotional spot during the pandemic

He died at the age of 82. , South American athletics champion, former mayor of La Molina and remembered in recent years as grandfather ‘Pacho’ after starring in an emotional commercial during the COVID-19 pandemic. The award-winning former athlete participated in two Olympic Games, Tokyo 1964 and Mexico 1968.

The latest Peruvian Sports Institute (IPD) confirmed the death of ‘Canguro’, four-time South American champion and five-time Bolivarian champion in his specialty of high jump.

Given the fact, the Special Legacy Project paid him a posthumous tribute from the Atlético Stadium of the National Sports Village (Videna) this January 12.

Family, friends and sports personalities participated in the ceremony of the last farewell to Roberto Abugattás. “For Legado it is an honor to pay tribute to a legend of Peruvian athletics, a great athlete, friend and a valuable person. His career was full of success,” said the institution.

Among his achievements, the historic high jump mark achieved in 1962 also stands out, when he broke the South American record with 2.02 meters above the surface.

“He did extraordinary things because of the quality of human being that he was. He was someone I could hardly beat at anything. Nobility and humility is what makes an athlete great. “That was something my father had and taught,” added Valery Abugattás, daughter of the deceased athlete.

The image of the former athlete is also remembered by thousands of Peruvians thanks to the commercial in which he played grandfather Pacho in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, when the authorities implored the population to maintain social distance and not see their relatives due to the risk of contagion. of COVID-19.

whom he affectionately called Atenusky. They both missed each other a lot, but they made it clear that it was best for both of them not to see each other yet. Later, their reunion was also recorded.