Sport in Venezuela
A wide range of games are played in Venezuela such as baseball and football. For them, sports is an integral part of the cultural life of the Venezuelans.
Their festivals are not complete without "Toros Coleados" or "Bull-Tailing". This game is the country’s own equine sport and is their traditional sport. It involves four riders and they have to fight, wrestle, and grapple among the other players to get the bull’s tail and pull it down while riding a horse. It can be somewhat dangerous but one must admit that these coleaderos (the riders) are very adept in riding a horse and dauntless as the bulls.
Baseball, however is the most popular game in Venezuela and is said that the country produces skilled baseball players such as Luis Aparicio and Miguel Cabrera. The latter is currently a baseman for the Detroit Tigers and is regarded to the first Triple Crown winner in 45 years. This man has almost 2,000 hits before he reach age 31 which is quite impressive. In addition to that, The National Venezuelan Baseball team is also regarded as one the most competent teams that plays world-class baseball.
Since we’ve been talking world-class now, Venezuela’s National Football team has been representing their country and also has gained world-class recognition. Now, even the young ones are taking interest in the sport. For tennis, Venezuelans are looking forward to the Venezuelan Fed Cup and Venezuelan Davis Cup which will be held in their country and their players will be going up against North Americans.
Venezuela first joined the Olympic Games in 1948 and has won a total of twelve Olympic medals, five of which came from boxing (including 2012).
Below are details of sports, sporting events and sports people related to Venezuela. Is there something missing? If you know of something that should be listed here, please let us know.
Popular sports of Venezuela
- Baseball, Football (Soccer)
Regional or Traditional Sports
- Toros Coleados or Bull-Tailing (Coleo) — involves chasing down a bull while riding on horseback
- Bolas Criollas — a traditional Venezuelan team sport like bocce and pétanque in which players throw a set of balls as close as possible to the small target ball.
Venezuela Sporting Success
- 1941 the Venezuelan baseball team defeated the Cuban baseball team in the World Amateur Baseball tournament
Great athletes from Venezuela
- Luis Aparicio (baseball)
- Miguel Cabrera (baseball)
Venezuela Sports trivia
- Venezuela won its first Olympic medal in 1952 when Arnoldo Devonish won bronze in the Men's Triple Jump. The first Venezuelan Olympic gold medal was won by Francisco "Morochito" Rodriguez, in the light flyweight category in Boxing at the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games.
- Venezuela takes part in the Bolivarian Games, a multi-sport competition involving athletes from Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.
Venezuela at major events
Past sporting events hosted in Venezuela
- 1959 Pan American Games, Caracas
- 1983 Central American and Caribbean Games, Caracas
Upcoming sporting events in Venezuela
- 2019 IV Bolivarian Beach Games, in Vargas Venezuela.
- 2021 - XIX Bolivarian Games in Valles del Tuy, Venezuela.
Annual sporting events held in Venezuela
Sporting Facilities in Venezuela
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