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The 2017 Central American Games (Juegos Deportivos Centroamericanos) take place this month. From December 3-17 athletes from Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama will compete in Managua.
This year’s edition is the 11th of history of the Juegos Deportivos Centroamericanos. The competition is to have the following disciplines: athletics, baseball, cycling, basketball, billiards, body-building, boxing, chess, fencing, field hockey, golf, handball, judo, karate, ping pong, rowing, rugby sevens, softball, soccer, surfing, swimming, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, volleyball, weight lifting, and wrestling.
Missing from the 2017 Games are six disciplines from 2013. They are badminton, bowling, gymnastics, skating, squash, and yachting. Rugby sevens, in contrast, is debuting this year at the Central American Games.
Rugby sevens will have both Men’s and Women’s categories. Involved in both are to be five countries with the host nation of Nicaragua being joined by Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras in both formats.
Neither Belize nor Panama have met the requirements to take part in the rugby at the 2017 Central Americas Games. Belize has never participated in any regional competition and is neither a recognized member of Sudamérica Rugby or Rugby Americas North.
Panama is a Sudamérica Rugby member but the country’s Olympic Committee did not enroll the Men’s or Women’s rugby teams in the event.
In both the men’s and women’s rugby competitions the two contenders for Gold Medals are Costa Rica and Guatemala. These counties have achieved the best results throughout the year and enter the competition as the expectant finalists.
The battle for Bronze Medal is less clear. El Salvador has been involved for longer than both Honduras and Nicaragua. Yet with Nicaragua playing at home and positive results having come this year it looms as being unpredictable in both the Men’s and Women’s sections.
Special report with collaboration from Luis Felipe González, Rugby News Centroamérica.
