The Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games now has an official mascot. Its name is #Pandi and it represents a jaguar, the biggest cat in the Americas, which has its habitat in the northeastern Argentina. In 2001, it was declared a national protected species, on account of it being at risk of extinction.

“#Pandi seeks to inspire young people to embrace sport as a tool for building a better world, and to warn of the dangers posed to species that are at risk of disappearing,” said the Buenos Aires 2018 Local Organising Committee.

The name of the mascot is preceded by a hashtag, an indication that it will be highly visible online.

Futsal will play an important role at the Games through the men’s and women’s tournaments, which will take place between 7 and 18 October.

A total of 3,998 athletes, half of them men and half of them women, will compete in the 32 sports that form part of Buenos Aires 2018.