The Games - initially due to take place from June 5 to 20 next year - has become the latest event to see its dates alter following the coronavirus pandemic.

Colombia’s Sports Minister Ernesto Lucena Barrero and Panam Sports President Neven Ilic confirmed the dates at a virtual meeting.

Colombian Olympic Committee President Baltazar Medina, former Valle del Cauca Governor Dilian Francisca Toro, representatives of the Valle del Cauca Government and Jose Luis Echeverry, Mayor of Cali and the executive director of Cali 2021, were also present in the meeting.

Ilic said the Games will be a major event for young athletes, particularly following the International Olympic Committee’s decision to postpone the Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games to 2026.

"With the postponement of the Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games, the Cali 2021 will be the most important and massive sporting event in the world for young people in the coming years," Ilic said.

"I am sure it will be a spectacular sports festival that will serve as a launching point for our next generation of athletes and that Cali and the Colombians, as always, will be fantastic hosts.

"I want to sincerely thank the Colombian Government, President Duque, Minister Lucena, Valle del Cauca Governor Clara Luz Roldan, Mayor of Cali Ivan Ospina and the Colombian Olympic Committee for trusting us as an organisation, and for the commitment and passion they have shown to youth and sport throughout the continent."

Panam Sports says the Games will serve as a unique opportunity for the next generation of athletes and for the advancement of sports development throughout the entire American continent.

The Games will be the first continental event in history dedicated and designed for young athletes between the ages of 14 and 22.

A total of 27 sports are set to feature at the Games.

The programme includes archery, athletics, badminton, 3x3 basketball, bowling, boxing, canoeing, fencing, handball, judo, karate, modern pentathlon, rowing, sailing, shooting, squash, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, weightlifting and wrestling.

Artistic swimming, diving and swimming are part of the aquatics programme, while the BMX, mountain bike, road and track events will be included as part of cycling.

Artistic, rhythmic and trampoline gymnastics competitions are due to feature, along with artistic, speed and skateboarding roller sports events.

Beach and indoor volleyball events are also included.

Around 3,500 athletes from 41 countries are expected to compete at the first edition of the Games.

Colombian Sports Minister Barrero suggested the Games could help to reactive the country’s economy after the coronavirus pandemic.

"The National Government affirms the resources and commitments that are required for the Junior Pan American Games in Cali," he said.

"We know the importance of these Games post-pandemic to help reactivate the economy and for the youth of Colombia and all of the Americas.

"We are working very hard to make these Games as great as we have all dreamed them to be.

"We want Games of the highest quality, and prestige, but as always the focus of everything is the region, for Colombia and for the athletes who are going to visit us."

The Games will offer gold medallists automatic qualification to the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, which Panam Sports believes will ensure the best young talent from the region participates in Cali.

The Organising Committee is expected to mark the one-year-to-go milestone next Wednesday (September 9), with coverage on the Panam Sports Channel.

Panam Sports has called for sports fans in the Americas to stay across social media to experience the event, which has been touted as highlighting the "passion, joy, music and rhythm" of the Games.

Cali was awarded the first edition of the Games in March 2019, with the Panam Sports Executive Committee choosing the Colombian bid over competition from Santa Ana in El Salvador and Monterrey in Mexico.