Sport in Paraguay

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Sport in Paraguay is an important part of national culture. Association football is the most popular sport, while basketball is also very popular.[1] Other sports such as padel, volleyball, futsal, swimming and tennis are popular as well.[1] Other Paraguayan sports and pastimes are rugby union, chess, motorsport, golf and rowing.

Football

Main article: Football in Paraguay
IFFHS as the best goalkeeper in the world on three occasions as 1995, 1997 and 1998 and figures amongst 48 legendary players by the IFFHS[3][4]

Football, also known as Futbol, is by far the most popular sport in Paraguay to the point that it is part of the nation's culture. Football was first introduced in

Julio César Romero and José Luis Chilavert.[7] In 2016, Roque Santa Cruz was regarded as one of the best players in the nation's history.[8]

Rugby union

Main article: Rugby union in Paraguay

IRFB in 1989.[10] South American rugby has historically been dominated by Argentina, and to a lesser extent Uruguay (both of which have qualified for the Rugby World Cup), but the sport can be found in almost all nations in South America, including Paraguay. This is partly due to massive immigration from Europe, notably the British Isles, France, and Italy.[10] It is difficult to single out one of these nations as being primarily responsible for the birth of Paraguayan rugby, as illustrated by Asunción Rugby Club, which was formed by two Britons, two Argentines, a Dutchman, and a New Zealander.[11]

The first Paraguayan rugby player of note was Nelson Ayala, who played with the English club Saracens F.C. in the 1950s, and also played a prominent part in developing the game in his home country.[11] In 1970, a second club was set up in Asunción, the Club Universitario de Asunción (CURDA), which has since toured South Africa, Great Britain and New Zealand.[11]

Traditionally the stronghold of Paraguayan rugby has been Asunción. However Since 2000 a number of Asunción clubs have folded, combined, or struggled to field teams in both Primera (first grade) and Intermedia (reserve grade).

In 2013 the teams in Primera were CURDA, San Jose, Old King Club, Luque, Cristo Rey, Universidad Autónoma de Asunción, and Santa Clara.

Las Leones de Encarnacion, from the south of the country, competed in Primera until 2009 when they switched to compete in the URNE championship of Northern Argentina. Encarnacion is a riverside city opposite the Argentinian city of Posadas. Las Leones often fielded a strong team in Primera, but they are closer to the Posadas, Corrientes and Resistencia, than to Asunción (a 5-hour bus trip). While strong at home they often struggled to field a competitive team when traveling to Asunción every second week for Primera. They have since won the URNE championship.

Since 2010 there has been strong growth in both women's rugby and rugby outside of and in the outskirts of Asunción. Traditionally teams such as Ciudad del Este and Coronel Oviedo played only occasionally, or fielded 1 team in Intermedia or Primera where they often struggled. In 2010 a separate "Campeonato del Interior" was established, in which developing clubs from the countryside played. Teams include Santani, Coronel Oviedo, Villarica, Ciudad del Este and Presidente Franco.

All Primera teams are now obliged to field a women's team. The women play 7-a-side rugby with mini 7 a side championships held every couple of weeks.

From 2013 a separate Campeonato Metropolitano (Metropolitan Championship) was also established, for new developing teams from Asunción which could not yet compete in Primera. Teams are (Capiatá Rugby Club), Villeta Rugby Club, Mariano Roque Alonso RC, Ñemby Rugby, Mangoré (San Juan Bautista Misiones), Club Deportivo de Puerto Sajonia, Jararas FCM-UNA Rugby.

Basketball

Paraguay national basketball team
. The best achievements by the national team were their two second-place finishes in the South American Basketball Championship in 1955 and 1960.

Athletics

Main article: Athletics in Paraguay

Athletics in Paraguay is managed by the

Federación Paraguaya de Atletismo
. The sport is mainly practiced in the throwing modalities.

Golf

LPGA Tour, and finished fifth at the 2014 Women's British Open.[14]

Handball

The

Olimpia Asunción,[16] the Universidad Autónoma de Asunción[17] and Cerro Porteño have handball teams.[18] In October 2021, the Campeonato Centro Sur de Handball was held for female national teams at the Olympic Park at the Paraguayan Olympic Committee.[19] Paraguay's team qualified for the 2021 World Handball Championship in Spain.[20]

Tennis

Rossana de los Ríos was the world junior number 1 in 1992

Fed Cup in 1991, and their best result was qualifying for the World Group play-offs in 1995. Notable male tennis players from Paraguay include males Victor Caballero, Hugo Chapacú, Ramón Delgado, Francisco González and Víctor Pecci, and female tennis players Rossana de los Ríos, Verónica Cepede Royg and Montserrat González
.

Volleyball

Volleyball is also a noteworthy sport in Paraguay. The

South American Men's Volleyball Championship in 1958, and two bronze medals, in 1956 and 1979.[21] The women's national team won a silver medal at the 1964 South American Volleyball Championship, and a bronze medal in the 1967 edition.[22]

Paraguay featured a women's national team in beach volleyball that competed at the 2018–2020 CSV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup.[23]

Other sports

Padel, chess, futsal, motorsport, and rowing are also notable Paraguayan sports and pastimes.

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-1-57505-962-4
    .
  2. ^ "Flamboyant Chilavert still Paraguay's biggest star". Sports Illustrated. 25 April 2002. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  3. ^ "55 años de José Luis Chilavert, el arquero que revolucionó el puesto". 27 July 2020.
  4. ^ "Chilavert, entre los 48 jugadores legendarios del fútbol".
  5. ^ Cien Años de Historia: Sudor, Lagrimas, Sangre, y Victoria Archived 2 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "Bienvanidos a Union de Futbol del Interior!!!". www.ufi.org.py.
  7. ^ Historia de la Albirroja Archived 23 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ "Roque Santa Cruz es el mejor jugador paraguayo de la historia". Nanduti (in Spanish). 8 November 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  9. ^ IRB retrieved 8 July 2009
  10. ^ a b Bath, p72
  11. ^ a b c Thau, p52
  12. ^ "Carlos Franco". owgr.com.
  13. ^ "Fabrizio Zanotti". owgr.com.
  14. ^ a b "Overview | LPGA | Ladies Professional Golf Association".
  15. ^ a b c d e http://www.snd.gov.py/index.php/noticias/crecimiento-del-handbol-paraguayo [dead link]
  16. ^ "Handball archivos".
  17. ^ "Universidad Autónoma de Asunción".
  18. ^ "You are being redirected..." cerro.com.py.
  19. ^ "Campeonato Centro Sur de Handball 2021 se llevará a cabo del 5 al 9 de octubre". 1 October 2021.
  20. ^ "Paraguay al mundial de handball". 9 October 2021.
  21. ^ "Volleyball: Men: South American Championships". Archived from the original on 28 November 2010.
  22. ^ "Volleyball: Women: South American Championships". Archived from the original on 24 September 2008.
  23. FIVB
    . 22 June 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.

Bibliography

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