Sport in Panama
Sports in Panama have contributed much in shaping its culture. Though most of their sports are influenced by the U.S., they have successfully made their mark to be a globally competitive country.
Baseball is Panama’s national sport, influenced by their close ties to the USA. Their national team, called Panama National Baseball team, are a highly ranked baseball team in the world. Bruce Kastulo Chen is one of the notable baseball players of Panama.
Panamanians are not as passionate about football (soccer) as are many other Central American countries, though this may change after their national team qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 2018, after 10 failed qualification campaigns. The Panamanian national team, the "Marea Roja" or "Red Tide,
Basketball is also gaining popularity among the citizens. They have regional teams that compete internationally. The most prominent basketball player they have had was Rolando Blackman who was a four-time NBA-All Star.
Baseball is a very popular sport in PanamaAnother pride for Panama is boxing, and they currently have two reigning world boxing champions namely, Guillermo Jones and Anselmo Moreno, while Eusebio Pedroza, Roberto Duran, Isamel Laguna and Panama Al Brown are members of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The Gulf Coast Triathlon is also a great sports event in Panama that started around 1982 and has been held annually since then. This event features a swim in the gulf of Mexico, a bike in Bay County, and a run through Panama City Beach.
Below are details of sports, sporting events and sports people related to Panama. Is there something missing? If you know of something that should be listed here, please let us know.
Popular sports of Panama
- Baseball, Football (Soccer), Boxing, Basketball
Panama Sporting Success
- Panama finished runners-up in the 2005 and 2013 Football Gold Cup, losing to the United States on both occasions.
- Irving Saladino, born in Ciudad de Colón, won the long jump at the 2008 Beijing Games, becoming Panama's first-ever Olympic gold medallist.
Great athletes from Panama
- Roberto "Stone Hand" Duran (boxing)
- Rod Carew (baseball)
- Bruce Kastulo Chen (baseball)
- Rolando Blackman (basketball)
Panama Sports trivia
- Panama takes part in the Bolivarian Games, a multi-sport competition involving athletes from Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.
- After 10 failed qualification campaigns, Panama appeared at the World Cup for the first time in their history in 2018.
Panama at major events
- Panama at the Summer Olympics
- Panama at the Men's FIFA World Cup
- Panama at the Women's FIFA World Cup
Past sporting events hosted in Panama
Upcoming sporting events in Panama
Annual sporting events held in Panama
- The Gulf Coast Triathlon
- Ocean to Ocean Panama Canal Cayuco (canoe) races - held each year in March-April.
Sporting Facilities in Panama
- Rod Carew Stadium in Panama City - the home to the Panama Metro professional baseball club
- Rommel Fernandez Stadium in Panama City (Football stadium)
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