Roque Meza Vera, one of the goalkeepers of the Paraguayan futsal team that won the first official international futsal tournament in the world in January 1965 (the 1965 South American Championship held at the Comuneros Stadium in Asunción, Paraguay), passed away this morning on the eve of his 90th birthday.
He was highly regarded in the sports world for his work as a sports journalist, being the oldest living broadcaster of his kind. He is especially valued and appreciated for his work alongside the legendary Ovidio Javier Talavera on "Panorama Deportivo" and with another pioneer, Pedro Garcia Arias, at Corporación Deportiva Fenix.
Among his accomplishments as a communicator, one can also appreciate a magnificent work of research on the life of Arsenio Erico, embodied in the book "The Golden Paraguayan," which, having sold out, made a second edition necessary, now expanded with more historical data on the "Red Jumper.".
The Paraguayan Futsal Federation, while announcing the unfortunate passing of one of its meritorious early practitioners, decreed mourning and will pay posthumous tribute to him in the official first division and youth league matches.
His remains are being viewed at Choferes del Chaco 236 near Juana de Lara, Kennedy neighborhood of Lambaré.
