The Central American Games (CAGs), known as the Juegos Centroamericanos, are made up of seven participating countries from Central America – Panama, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Honduras, Belize, and Guatemala. This multi-sport regional championship is held every four years, the year following the Summer Olympics. The competition is organized by Organizacion Deportiva Centroamericana (ORDECA).
There are several other similar events. The Central American and Caribbean Games, which has been held since 1926, was originally called the Central American Games. In 2022, the first Caribbean Games was held.
The CAG has a tradition rather similar to the Olympic Flame, it being ignited in Q’umarkaj, one of the ancient cultural Mayan centers in El Quiché, Guatemala.
The first edition of the CAGs was held in Guatemala in 1973. Over the years, participating athletes have increased. At the first Games in 1973, there were 966 athletes, in 2017, a total of 3,500 athletes took part in the CAGs. The number of sports has increased too, from 16 to 27 in 2017. The 2022 scheduled Central American Games was canceled due to the COVID pandemic. The next event is due in 2025 in Guatemala
Sports in Central American Games
The sporting program at the Central American Games comprises mostly of sports on the Olympic program. In addition, in 2017 there were events for chess, billiards, bodybuilding and sambo.
There had been issues with the Games from people and organizations, criticizing the CAG for not including the oldest ball sport in the continent, the Mesoamerican Ballgame, on the sports program.
The next Central American Games
- The next CAGs will be in 2025, in Guatemala
Related Pages
- Pan-American Games
- The Central American and Caribbean Games
- Caribbean Games
- Other International Multi-Events
- Multi-Sport Events (Games) Calendar