The majorsports in Venezuela arebaseball,basketball andfootball(Soccer).Baseball in Venezuela originates with the early 20th century cultural influence of the United States oil companies. TheVenezuelan Professional Baseball League was established in 1945.Football in Venezuela lags behind baseball, but its popularity in recent years has grown.Basketball and volleyball are also popular sports; there has been anational basketball league since 1974. TheVuelta a Venezuela is one of six cycling events in theUCI America Tour. Thepolo clubLechuza Caracas has had some success in North American polo competitions.
In international competitions, Venezuela has participated in theOlympics since 1948, and theWinter Olympic Games since 1998. It won its firstOlympic medal in1952 whenAsnoldo Devonish won bronze in the Men'sTriple Jump, and its first Olympic gold in 1968 (Francisco Rodríguez, light flyweight boxing). Venezuela first competed in theParalympics in 1984 and won its first Paralympic gold in 2008 (Naomi Soazo, judo).
Venezuela participates in thePan American Games and theCentral American and Caribbean Games, withCaracas hosting these games in1959 and1983, respectively. Venezuela has had aDavis Cup team since 1957.
Thoughgolf is a minor sport in Venezuela, the emergence ofJhonattan (Johnny) Vegas on thePGA Tour in 2011 and his strong showing as a rookie there has raised its profile.
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On October 22, 1941, theVenezuela national baseball team defeatedCuba in theIV Amateur World Series. Since the victory was unexpected because Cuba was heavily favored, it sent the country into a craze.[1] A week later when the team returned to Venezuela over one hundred thousand people lined up along a twenty-mile road from La Guaira to the capital to welcome them back at the time that was more than a third of the country's population.[1] Another fact to show the magnitude of the celebration is that government offices, businesses, and schools closed down to celebrate. The players were even greeted by President Gen at the Isaías Medina Angrita and many other high power people. The defeat of Cuba was recognized as a Hazaña at the time, which means a heroic feat.[1] Later in the year 2000, the country's association sports writers established the defeat as the country's most important sporting event of the twentieth century.[1] Since that “heroic” moment, the major spark of the sport of baseball escalated itself to be Venezuela's dominant sport.[1] TheVenezuelan Professional Baseball League was established in 1945, withLeones del Caracas the leading team; another leading club isValencia'sNavegantes del Magallanes, established in 1917. There is aVenezuelan Summer League (established in 1997) and winter league (Liga Paralela). Venezuelan teams have won theCaribbean Series a number of times.
TheVenezuela national baseball team won theBaseball World Cup several times in the 1940s, and theBaseball tournament at the Pan American Games in 1959. Venezuela has also participated in every edition of theWorld Baseball Classic since its inaugural season, in2006, and reached the bronze medal in2009.
Venezuelan players in US-CanadianMajor League Baseball number over 200 since 1939. TheLuis Aparicio Award was established in 2004, in honor ofLuis Aparicio, the only Venezuelan ballplayer to have been introduced into theNational Baseball Hall of Fame inCooperstown, New York. The award is given annually to honor the Venezuelan player who recorded the best individual performance inMajor League Baseball, as voted on by sports journalists in Venezuela.
Football in Venezuela has gradually become popular and a mainstream sport with baseball, but baseball is still known as the country's sport.[2] This is believed because of how mainstream baseball is played and the success of Venezuelan players in theMLB (Major League Baseball). Also, it's believed that the failure for football to become as popular as baseball in the country is because thenational team has not done so well at international level. Venezuela is the only team to not have qualified for aWorld Cup in South America, excludingSuriname,Guyana andFrench Guiana, who, although a part of continental South America, participate in theCONCACAF qualifying region.[3] Even though they have never qualified for the World Cup, they do play in one of the hardest brackets with some of the top football countries in the world, such as Brazil and Argentina.[4]
Venezuela football has had a rough history throughout the years, especially with its national team, and have been looked at as pushovers. The team is known as "La Vinotinto" (The Red Wine) due to their dark burgundy jerseys showcasing the same dark color as red wine (shown in the adjacent picture).[3] TheFederación Venezolana de Fútbol was established in 1926 following the creation of theLiga Venezolana in 1921.[5] TheVenezuela national football team played their first game in 1938. Professionalism was not established until 1957 with theCopa de Venezuela arriving two years later.[5] The Vinotinto have struggled ever since the beginning of the national team competing for The World Cup in England in 1966.[6] From then to the 1994, attempting to qualify for The World Cup series in America, the team was known as the "whipping boys," for how badly they lost to other teams. Within this time span they competed in seven qualifying campaigns, playing a total of sixty five matches consisting a record of seven wins, seven draws, and fifty-one losses.[3] Along with a poor of record, their goal difference was negative ninety-nine, meaning that they were scored on ninety-nine more times than they scored on opponents.[6] Two years later, 1998, a new rule changed to the format of the qualifying process gave a little hope for the Venezuela team to compete for a World Cup because it was now easier for them to qualify. It was made easier for the team to qualify because of the new point system and matches against weaker teams.[6] The expectations of Venezuela to have a chance to qualify were quickly shot down after the team actually started to play worse. The team play better in their previous campaigns with the harder qualifying rules than with the new.[6]
The next season, a new head coach was chosen by theVenezuelan Football Federation (FVF). The new coach wasRichard Páez, he was a former Venezuelan football player. He coached the Vinotinto until the beginning of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers where he unexpectedly resigned.[6] In his time as head coach he revolutionized the team with the help of a younger and newer players, helping them become a winning team instead of being known as the "whipping boys." He led the team to its first ever victory overUruguay, who then fired their head coach for the loss. After the famous 3–0 win, Páez said that "as a country, we have earned the right to savor this triumph after thirty six years of humiliation".[6] In 2007 theCopa América tournament was held inVenezuela where the Vinotinto won its second ever match in the tournament. They went on to be undefeated, winning their bracket, until losing the quarter-finals to Uruguay 4–1.[6] The tournament was a huge success in bringing the country closer to the National Team. It is said for, a brief moment, football the nations favorite sport.[6] This new enthusiasm towards the team also brought higher expectations of the team as well. When coach Páez resigned, he was replaced withCésar Farías where he continued Páez's revolution of the National team. He currently is coaching the team and has also helped the youth of Venezuela football players increasing the intensity of play at each level which produces better players for the Vinotinto.[6] Some experts felt that the 2014 World Cup would bring the best and closest chance for the "Vinotinto" to become prominent again at that level.[6]
Anunder-20 team, anunder-17 team, and awomen's team also compete.
TheVenezuela national under-20 football team was able to qualify for the2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup after finishing fourth in the hexagonal final, beating teams such asColombia andArgentina, champions of previous editions of the tournament. In 2017 the Venezuelan team became runners-up in the2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup.[7]
Behindbaseball, the most popular sport in Venezuela wasbasketball in 2012.[8] Traditionally, thenational team has been one of the three elite teams in South America.[9] The country hosted the2012 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying tournament and the2013 FIBA Americas Championship. The (English:Venezuelan Basketball Federation) controls themen's andwomen's basketball teams. Venezuela has been home to several elite basketball players who have competed in the world's top basketball tournaments and leagues throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. These players includeÓscar Torres,Richard Lugo,Carl Herrera and most notablyGreivis Vásquez.
TheLiga Professional de Baloncesto is the main Venezuelan Basketball League, which features 14 teams.
| City | Venue | Date built | Capacity | Tenants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barquisimeto | Domo Bolivariano | 1982 | 10,000 | Guaros de Lara |
| Valencia | Forum de Valencia | 1991 | 10,000 |
Venezuela featured national teams inbeach volleyball that competed at the2018–2020 CSV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup in both the women's and the men's sections.[10]
Boxing is a popular sport in Venezuela, with the country having produced several Olympic medalists and professional world champions. Well-known boxers includeBetulio González,Rafael Orono,Antonio Cermeño,Antonio Esparragoza,Bernardo Piñango andEdwin Valero. In addition, although not a Venezuelan himself, ColombianAntonio "Kid Pambele" Cervantes, was popular in Venezuela and fought there many times.
Corrida de toros, orbullfighting, inVenezuela is said not to be very popular.[2] Also, bullfighting is considered to be more of an art form that the Spanish colonists brought with them, but is still also considered a sport.[2] The modern sport started, in Venezuela, during the 19th century, with the Spaniards' arrival.[11] The industry started from the city ofSan Cristóbal. The first bullrings were built of wood and didn't have many seats, but they eventually grew to the modern "large bullring," such as the Nuevo de Caracas that was built in 1968.[2] The industry now has 55 bullrings, more than twenty-five breeding farms for bullfighting bulls, and two schools to teach prospective future bullfighters how to fight the bulls. Festivals were normally held in honor of the patron saint or Virgin.[2] Two of the most important festivals held are the Feria de San Cristóbal and The Feria de Sol (Festival of the Sun).[2] These festivals have one week where each night there is an event with about four or five matadors, the "bullfighters," and an equal number of bulls.[2] Even though these are two big events, bullfighting happens in these two places all year long.[11] The quality of a bullfight, and how exciting the event is, is based upon the strength and power of the bull plus the skill of the matador.[2] Bullfighting is legal in Venezuela because there is no national or state animal protection legislation that prevents animal cruelty.[11]
| Bullring | Location | Capacity | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plaza de toros Monumental de Valencia | Valencia,Venezuela | 24,708 |  |
| Plaza Monumental Román Eduardo Sandia | Mérida,Venezuela | 16,000 |  |
| Plaza de toros Monumental de Maracaibo | Maracaibo,Venezuela | 15,000 |  |
| Plaza Monumental de toros de Pueblo Nuevo | San Cristóbal,Venezuela | 15,000 |  |
Although baseball, basketball, and football are the top three sports, popularity-wise, in Venezuela,[citation needed] the sport ofColeo has been a favorite past time for many years.[citation needed] The sport is most popular in the eastern and southern regions of the country.[2] The sport is similar to that of AmericanRodeo, wherellaneros or cowboys, will chase cattle but most commonly a bull.[12] There are about three to fivellaneros on horseback that will compete against each other and the bull. The objective of the sport is to chase a bull around an enclosed area, about the length of an American football field (100 yards), and pull the animal down to the ground by grabbing its tail.[13] Once a llanero takes down the bull, they must let bull back up so it can continue to run around the arena. They do this by "twisting the bulls tail." Which everllanero can get the bull down to the ground the most times out of all the riders, will win. The chase lasts about five minutes.[12][13] The sport can be very dangerous, just like rodeo, because the riders can fall off their horses and be trampled by the bull. Also, sometimes the bull can break a leg or become injured, and if this happens the bull is taken immediately to the slaughterhouse, the so-called "manga".[2]
Jhonattan Vegas is Venezuela's most famous golfer, he was born inMaturin,Venezuela. He played college golf at theUniversity of Texas.
Vegas turned professional in 2008 and started playing the Nationwide tour in 2009.
Vegas represented Venezuela in the2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup withAlfredo Adrian. They finished tied for twelfth place. Vegas won his first Nationwide Tour event in 2010 at thePreferred Health Systems Wichita Open. He finished the season seventh on the money list and earned his 2011 PGA Tour card, the first Venezuelan to do so.
In 2011, Vegas, competing as Johnny Vegas, won theBob Hope Classic inLa Quinta, California, and a week later finished tied for third in theFarmers Insurance Open atTorrey Pines Golf Course, a municipal public golf course inSan Diego.[14] He was also Venezuela's representative in golf for the 2016 Summer Olympics. On 30 July 2017 Vegas successfully defended his title at the RBCCanadian Open for his third PGA Tour win. His play earned him another place in history at the2017 Presidents Cup as the first Venezuelan to compete in the event.
The sport has come under criticism from, and courses have been closed by, PresidentHugo Chávez. "Several years ago, Chávez closed three courses in the Vegas family's home state,Monagas. All were essentially clubs for workers in the nation's wealthy oil industry. Vegas's father, Carlos, who at one time worked as a caddie and later became a food concessionaire to two of the clubs, decided his son would have to leave Venezuela if he were to pursue golf seriously.... [Chávez] has called it a 'bourgeois sport' played primarily by lazy, rich people in carts. He has closed six of the country's courses and said the government should appropriate private urban land for public housing. 'Do you mean to tell me this is a people's sport?' he said in 2009. 'It is not.' ... After Vegas won the Hope Classic, Chávez, who has not, it is believed, put buildings on any of the courses, proclaimed that he was not 'an enemy of golf, or any other sport.' He said he would call to congratulate Vegas. 'He beat all of the gringos,' he said. ... Vegas talked about having spoken with Chávez, and what he [Vegas] hopes will come about as a result of the chat: perhaps a friendlier attitude toward the sport."[14]
The Caracas Country Club, associated with the United States and the oil industry and designed in the 1920s by theOlmsted Brothers, along with another club in the capital city, were under pressure to close in late 2010. Heavy rains had accentuated a severe housing shortage, and the president saw both political andland-use reasons for change.[15]
El Juego del Garrote (The Garrote Game) orGarrote Larense, is a Venezuelan martial art that involvesmachetes,garrote, and knife fencing.
There are two important venues for motorsport activity in the country:San Carlos Circuit andAutodromo de Turagua.
Venezuela has produced some notable competitors in motorsport.Johnny Cecotto enjoyed a successful career in both motorcycle and car racing. He won the 250cc and 350cc races on hisGrand Prix debut at the 1975French Grand Prix, on the way to winning the 350cc world championship in his rookie year. He went on to win a total of 14 Grands Prix between 1975 and 1980, including three in the top 500cc class. He subsequently switched to four wheels, scoring two wins and finishing as runner up in the1982 European Formula Two championship and racing inFormula One in1983 and1984. After F1 he was successful intouring car racing, winning theMacau Grand PrixGuia Race in 1986, theItalian Superturismo Championship in 1989 and the GermanSuper Tourenwagen Cup in1994 and1998. He also scored 14 wins in theDeutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft between 1988 and 1992, and finished runner-up in the championship in 1990. His sonJohnny Cecotto Jr. is also a racing driver, scoring wins in theGP2 Series.
After Cecotto's breakthrough fellow VenezuelansCarlos Lavado andIván Palazzese also made an impact in Grand Prix motorcycling. Lavado scored 19 Grand Prix wins in the 250cc and 350cc classes and won the 250cc world championship in 1983. Palazzese scored consecutive wins in the 125cc class in theSwedish andFinnish Grands Prix in1982 on his way to finishing third in the 125cc standings.
More recentlyPastor Maldonado has emerged as Venezuela's most successful F1 racer, scoring his first and one F1 pole position and win at the2012 Spanish Grand Prix. Previously Maldonado had been successful in GP2, scoring ten wins in the series and winning the championship in2010.
Venezuelan racers have also competed in top-level motorsport in North America in recent years, includingE. J. Viso andMilka Duno.
Rugby union is a popular team sport in Venezuela. Rugby union is considered the fourth most popular sport in Venezuela, afterbaseball,football, andbasketball.
Swimming is a growing sport in Venezuela. Notable Venezuelan swimmers include:
Notable Venezuelan tennis players include:
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venezuela at the Deaflympics | 12 | 10 | 15 | 37 |
| Venezuela at the INAS Global Games | 4 | 6 | 6 | 16 |
| Venezuela at the Military World Games | 1 | 4 | 10 | 15 |
| Venezuela at the Olympics | 2 | 4 | 9 | 15 |
| Venezuela at the Paralympics | 1 | 5 | 11 | 17 |
| Venezuela at the Universiade | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Venezuela at the World Games | 5 | 7 | 11 | 23 |
| Venezuela at the Youth Olympic Games | 2 | 8 | 5 | 15 |
| Totals (8 entries) | 27 | 44 | 67 | 138 |
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venezuela at the Pan American Games | 102 | 220 | 296 | 618 |
| Venezuela at the Parapan American Games | 70 | 78 | 112 | 260 |
| Totals (2 entries) | 172 | 298 | 408 | 878 |
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venezuela at the South American Beach Games | 15 | 31 | 22 | 68 |
| Venezuela at the South American Games | 535 | 469 | 500 | 1,504 |
| Venezuela at the South American Para Games | 34 | 24 | 21 | 79 |
| Venezuela at the South American Youth Games | 33 | 53 | 52 | 138 |
| Totals (4 entries) | 617 | 577 | 595 | 1,789 |
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venezuela at the ALBA Games | 435 | 476 | 472 | 1,383 |
| Venezuela at the Bolivarian Games | 1,856 | 1,487 | 1,145 | 4,488 |
| Venezuela at the Central American and Caribbean Games | 564 | 782 | 918 | 2,264 |
| Venezuela at the Ibero American Games | 8 | 4 | 6 | 18 |
| Totals (4 entries) | 2,863 | 2,749 | 2,541 | 8,153 |
