Sports in Panama - Birthplace of Irving Saladino!

">Caribbean Tournament in El Salvador. Two years later,
Road to London 2012!the national team (senior) won the IV Latin Cup in 1978.
BaseballSubsequently, in September 1981, the squad from
Did you know- The team of Panama won the bronzePanama took the first place in the Central American
medal in the Under-20 World Cup in 1960.and Caribbean Championship in San Juan de Puerto
BasketballRico and qualified for the World Tournament in
Did you know- From 1967 to 1982, the PanamanianColombia in 1982. During the global event, the
men's basketball team was one of Latin America'sSpanish-speaking nation was one of the world's top
most successful squads. By virtue of its triumph in thenine teams. Meanwhile, Panama's basketball player
Central American and Caribbean Tournament in 1967,Rolando Frazer was the second- best scorer of the
in San Salvador (El Salvador), they qualified for the 19thWorld Cup.Before the end of 1982, Frazer was ranked
Summer Olympics in the United Mexican States. In Sanamong the most prominent athletes in Latin America,
Salvador, against all odds, they had defeated Cuba, aalong with Marcelo Alexandre (Argentina's cyclist),
team which had played a number of matches in theCecilia Tait (Peru's volleyball player), and Miguel
U.S.S.R -today Russia-- and other countries of EasternMaturana (Colombia's boxer).
Europe. Two years later, for the second time, PanamaBoxing
won the Caribbean Championship in Havana (Cuba),Did you know- By 1974, the team from Panama came
and won the right to compete in the global event inin 15th place in the World Boxing Championship, ahead
Ljubljana, Yugoslavia. At the 1969 Caribbeanof Nigeria and Ghana.
Tournament, Panama beat the host nation, who wereIrving Saladino
trained by a Soviet coach. Meanwhile, in Yugoslavia,Did you know- Irving Saladino became the first
the national squad came in 9th place in the World CupPanamanian to win an Olympic gold medal when he
-ahead of Canada and Australia. However, Panamacaptured the Olympic title in the men's long jump at the
had achieved great distinctions in junior men2008 Summer Games in the People's Republic of
competitions too. On January 12, 1976, the under-20China. This Central American nation had not won an
national basketball team won the IV BolivarianOlympic medal since 1948 when Lloyd LaBeach won
Championship in San Cristobal, Venezuela, and then, intwo bronze medals - 100m and 200m/track and field--
November, earned the Second Central American andat the Olympiad in the United Kingdom.