Sports in Panama - Birthplace of Irving Saladino!
Road to London 2012! Baseball Did you know- The team of Panama won the bronze medal in the Under-20 World Cup in 1960.
Basketball Did you know- From 1967 to 1982, the Panamanian men's basketball team was one of Latin America's most successful squads.
By virtue of its triumph in the Central American and Caribbean Tournament in 1967, in San Salvador (El Salvador), they qualified for the 19th Summer Olympics in the United Mexican States.
In San Salvador, against all odds, they had defeated Cuba, a team which had played a number of matches in the U.
S.
S.
R -today Russia-- and other countries of Eastern Europe.
Two years later, for the second time, Panama won the Caribbean Championship in Havana (Cuba), and won the right to compete in the global event in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia.
At the 1969 Caribbean Tournament, Panama beat the host nation, who were trained by a Soviet coach.
Meanwhile, in Yugoslavia, the national squad came in 9th place in the World Cup -ahead of Canada and Australia.
However, Panama had achieved great distinctions in junior men competitions too.
On January 12, 1976, the under-20 national basketball team won the IV Bolivarian Championship in San Cristobal, Venezuela, and then, in November, earned the Second Central American and Caribbean Tournament in El Salvador.
Two years later, the national team (senior) won the IV Latin Cup in 1978.
Subsequently, in September 1981, the squad from Panama took the first place in the Central American and Caribbean Championship in San Juan de Puerto Rico and qualified for the World Tournament in Colombia in 1982.
During the global event, the Spanish-speaking nation was one of the world's top nine teams.
Meanwhile, Panama's basketball player Rolando Frazer was the second- best scorer of the World Cup.
Before the end of 1982, Frazer was ranked among the most prominent athletes in Latin America, along with Marcelo Alexandre (Argentina's cyclist), Cecilia Tait (Peru's volleyball player), and Miguel Maturana (Colombia's boxer).
Boxing Did you know- By 1974, the team from Panama came in 15th place in the World Boxing Championship, ahead of Nigeria and Ghana.
Irving Saladino Did you know- Irving Saladino became the first Panamanian to win an Olympic gold medal when he captured the Olympic title in the men's long jump at the 2008 Summer Games in the People's Republic of China.
This Central American nation had not won an Olympic medal since 1948 when Lloyd LaBeach won two bronze medals - 100m and 200m/track and field-- at the Olympiad in the United Kingdom.
Basketball Did you know- From 1967 to 1982, the Panamanian men's basketball team was one of Latin America's most successful squads.
By virtue of its triumph in the Central American and Caribbean Tournament in 1967, in San Salvador (El Salvador), they qualified for the 19th Summer Olympics in the United Mexican States.
In San Salvador, against all odds, they had defeated Cuba, a team which had played a number of matches in the U.
S.
S.
R -today Russia-- and other countries of Eastern Europe.
Two years later, for the second time, Panama won the Caribbean Championship in Havana (Cuba), and won the right to compete in the global event in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia.
At the 1969 Caribbean Tournament, Panama beat the host nation, who were trained by a Soviet coach.
Meanwhile, in Yugoslavia, the national squad came in 9th place in the World Cup -ahead of Canada and Australia.
However, Panama had achieved great distinctions in junior men competitions too.
On January 12, 1976, the under-20 national basketball team won the IV Bolivarian Championship in San Cristobal, Venezuela, and then, in November, earned the Second Central American and Caribbean Tournament in El Salvador.
Two years later, the national team (senior) won the IV Latin Cup in 1978.
Subsequently, in September 1981, the squad from Panama took the first place in the Central American and Caribbean Championship in San Juan de Puerto Rico and qualified for the World Tournament in Colombia in 1982.
During the global event, the Spanish-speaking nation was one of the world's top nine teams.
Meanwhile, Panama's basketball player Rolando Frazer was the second- best scorer of the World Cup.
Before the end of 1982, Frazer was ranked among the most prominent athletes in Latin America, along with Marcelo Alexandre (Argentina's cyclist), Cecilia Tait (Peru's volleyball player), and Miguel Maturana (Colombia's boxer).
Boxing Did you know- By 1974, the team from Panama came in 15th place in the World Boxing Championship, ahead of Nigeria and Ghana.
Irving Saladino Did you know- Irving Saladino became the first Panamanian to win an Olympic gold medal when he captured the Olympic title in the men's long jump at the 2008 Summer Games in the People's Republic of China.
This Central American nation had not won an Olympic medal since 1948 when Lloyd LaBeach won two bronze medals - 100m and 200m/track and field-- at the Olympiad in the United Kingdom.