MEXICO CITY, Oct. 14 -- Mexican sports officials and fans have high hopes at the 2011 Pan American games which will start Friday in the city of Guadalajara in Mexico's central state of Jalisco.

Mexico's Sports Minister Bernardo de la Garza and Felipe Munoz, secretary general of Mexico's Olympic Committee announced at a join press conference that the official goal for Mexico is to surpass its record of 23 gold medals from the 1995 games in Argentina's city of Mar del Plata.

"I am sure that there will be a lot of joy, that we will see our flag rise more than 80 times in these Pan American Games, and that we will listen to our national anthem more than 23 times and in that way make history," Garza said earlier this month.

"Everyone here is focused on sports, people are very enthusiastic, tickets for all sports events are almost sold out," Juan Jose Martinez, spokesman for the Organizing Committee president Mario Vazquez, told Xinhua.

Pinned by most as Mexico's biggest hope for securing at least one gold medal for the country is without doubt the world champion in diving, Paola Espinosa.

The 25-year-old Espinosa won gold at the 2009 World Championships in Rome, bronze in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and a full three gold medals during the 2007 Pan American games in Brazil.

"My fellow countrymen are looking forward to a gold medal. I hope I can have an excellent performance," she told Xinhua earlier this week.

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