The sports industry in El Salvador is actively developing. Soccer, baseball, and basketball are the most popular sports in the country. Of course, martial arts traditions are also strong in the country.
The country is basically a center for the development of many sports, both international and regional. The most popular is soccer, which is played at the professional and amateur levels.
As for regional sports, the most popular is “Pelota Vasca”, the local form of handball. There is also “Trompo”, which is played with a wooden stick and a spinner, and the goal is to get the other player’s spinner knocked outside the circle.
Another traditional sport in El Salvador is “Caballito”. It is a horse race without a saddle, overcoming obstacles. And, finally, it is impossible not to mention such a traditional form of wrestling as serro. The wrestler’s task is to pin the opponent’s shoulders to the ground.
As for soccer, the country has given the world some of Central America’s most iconic sports figures, including former soccer players Jorge “Magico” Gonzalez and Raul Diaz Arce.
El Salvador has also had success in other sports such as basketball, volleyball, and baseball—national teams have won championships more than once. The country has world-class athletes in sports such as athletics, swimming, and boxing.
El Salvador has several national leagues—soccer, basketball, baseball, and volleyball—and holds swimming and cycling championships. The Salvador Beach Soccer Championship is an important annual event that attracts players and fans from all over the country.
Cricket has become especially popular in El Salvador lately due to the active resettlement of Indians here. These have also brought to the country a culture of betting on cricket matches, in particular on the IPL: bets are made both between people in person and on special online betting platforms.
The latter option is of increasing interest due to the development of internet technology in El Salvador. Locals can easily download IPL betting apps on their smartphones and start betting.
As for the famous athletes of El Salvador, apart from soccer players, it is definitely Carlos “Feros” Hernandez. This boxer not only won the title of WBA world champion in the featherweight division in 1997 but also held this title for five years. His powerful punches and aggressive style made him famous.
Swimmer Claudia Poll, who won two gold medals at the 1996 Olympics, also made her country famous. Maria Elena Callejas, track and field athlete and bronze medalist at the 1992 Olympics, also deserves a mention.
Finally, there’s NBA player, basketball player Oscar “El Gato” Mejia. His defensive prowess made him famous, making him one of the best basketball players in the league.