Sport in Argentina
Encyclopedia
The practice of sports in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
is varied due to the country's multicultural population and its mostly mild climate. However, football is by far the most popular sport in the country. Other sports played professionally and recreatively are athletics, auto racing
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
, basketball, boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, cycling, field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, fishing, golf, handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
, mountaineering
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
, padel tennis
Padel Tennis
Padel tennis is a racquet sport played extensively in Spain and Latin America.Padel is typically played in doubles on an enclosed court about half the size of a tennis court...
, polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
, roller hockey
Roller hockey (Quad)
Roller Hockey is a team sport that enjoys significant popularity in a number of Latin countries. Depending on territories, it is also known as Hóquei em Patins, International Style Ball hockey, Rink Hockey or Hardball Hockey. Roller Hockey was a demonstration rollersport in the 1992 Summer...
, rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
, rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, sailing
Sailing (sport)
Sailing is a well organized and recognized sport.There is a broad variety of kinds of races and sailboats used for racing. Much racing is done around buoys or similar marks in protected waters, while some longer offshore races cross open water...
, skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
, swimming, tennis and volleyball. Much Argentine sport success is in team sports, but boxing, tennis, golf and, in the past, rowing, are exceptions to the rule. Though it is the national sport, pato
Pato
Pato is a game played on horseback that combine elements from polo and basketball. It is the national sport of Argentina.Pato is Spanish for "duck", as early games used a live duck inside a basket instead of a ball. Accounts of early versions of pato have been written since 1610. The playing field...
is not very popular.
Argentina is one of the most important sport powers in the region, ending at the top of the medal count at the South American Games
South American Games
The South American Games , formerly the Southern Cross Games are a regional multi-sport event held between nations from South America, organized by the South American Sports Organization .The first...
since 1978, exceptions being 2002 and 2010. At a continental level, Argentina holds fourth place in the all-time medal table of the Pan American Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
, behind the United States, Canada and Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. Despite a relative lack of success at the Olympic level in more traditionals sports like athletics, swimming and gymnastics, Argentina has had successful participations in other popular sports like football, basketball, tennis, volleyball and boxing.
Football
Football Football is not only a sport, but part of the country's culture. The sport is played by children during breaks at school and by grown-ups in the plenty of both indoorFutsal
Futsal is a variant of association football that is played on a smaller pitch and mainly played indoors. Its name is a portmanteau of the Portuguese futebol de salão and the Spanish fútbol de salón , which can be translated as "hall football" or "indoor football"...
and outdoor fields located throughout the country.
The Argentina national football team
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
has won the World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
twice (in 1978
1978 FIFA World Cup
The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth...
and 1986
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
), successive Olympic gold medals (in 2004 and 2008
Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament
The men's association football tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held in Beijing and four other cities in the People's Republic of China from 7 August to 23 August. Associations affiliated with FIFA were invited to enter their men's U-23 teams in regional qualifying competitions, from...
), fourteen Copa América
Copa América
The Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
, one Confederations Cup
FIFA Confederations Cup
The FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...
and six Youth World Championship
FIFA U-20 World Cup
The FIFA U-20 World Cup, until 2005 known as the FIFA World Youth Championship, is the world championship of football for male players under the age of 20 and is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association...
's. Argentine clubs have won the Copa Libertadores (the top continental competition) a record 22 times, and have won the Intercontinental Cup
Intercontinental Cup (football)
The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
/FIFA Club World Cup
FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...
9 times, a record shared with Brazilian clubs. The Argentine Primera División is the top level domestic competition. The country's most famed national football idol historically is Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
.
Argentina's fiercest rival is Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
. The rivalry is sometimes known as the Battle of the South Americans
Argentina and Brazil football rivalry
The Argentina and Brazil football rivalry is a highly competitive sports rivalry that exists between the national football teams of the two countries, as well as their respective sets of fans. Games between the two teams, even those that are only friendly matches, are often marked by notable and...
. They have played each other numerous times in the Copa América and in the Confederations Cup, and the clubs of these countries have met several times in the Copa Libertadores finals. Argentina is one of the few national teams in football that have beat Brazil in a regural basis, although in the latest years Brazil has turned the situation in its favor. The youth teams have also met at various tournaments. At the 2008 Olympics, the under-23 teams met in the semifinal clash, with Argentina winning 3–0 in a hard-fought game.
Women's football is far behind in terms of popularity and professionalism. Nevertheless, the Argentina women's national football team
Argentina women's national football team
The Argentina women's national football team represents Argentina in international women's football. Since there is no professional league in Argentina, almost all its members are amateur players....
has competed in the Sudamericano Femenino
Sudamericano Femenino
The South American Women's Football Championship is the main competition in women's association football between national teams of the CONMEBOL....
since 1995, finishing as runner-up three times before finally winning the competition in 2006
2006 Sudamericano Femenino
The 2006 South American Women's Football Championship football tournament was played between November 10 and November 26, 2006 at Mar del Plata, Argentina....
, with a 5–0 victory over Brazil
Brazil women's national football team
The Brazil women's national football team represents Brazil in international women's association football. Brazil played their first game on July 22, 1986 against the United States....
in the last match of the final group stage. The national team also played in the 2003 and the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup
FIFA Women's World Cup
The FIFA Women's World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the senior women's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the...
s, but finished last in its group in both occasions.
Basketball
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
. The Basketball Clubs' Association organizes the Liga Nacional de Básquet, the top level of the country's league system. Although the Argentine national team
Argentina national basketball team
The Argentina national basketball team represents Argentina in basketball international competitions, and is controlled by the Argentine Basketball Federation....
won the first FIBA World Championship
FIBA World Championship
The FIBA World Championship is an international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of the International Basketball Federation , the sport's global governing body...
in 1950
1950 FIBA World Championship
The 1950 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from October 22 to November 3, 1950. Ten nations participated in the inaugural tournament. All competition was held at the Luna Park, Buenos Aires...
, the sport did not gain country-wide popularity until the 2000s, when the national team conquered the Olympic gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics, and had a good performance in the 2002
2002 FIBA World Championship
The 2002 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA from August 29 to September 8, 2002.-Venues:-Squads:...
and 2006
2006 FIBA World Championship
The 2006 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Japan from August 19 to September 3, 2006. It was co-organised by the International Basketball Federation , Japan Basketball Association and the 2006 Organizing Committee...
World Championship finishing respectively in second and fourth position. Argentine NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
star Emanuel Ginóbili
Manu Ginobili
Emanuel David "Manu" Ginóbili is an Argentine professional basketball player. Coming from a family of professional basketball players, he is a member of the Argentine men's national basketball team and the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association .Ginóbili spent the early part of...
also won NBA rings in 2003, 2005 and 2007 as a member of the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
, the last one with compatriot Fabricio Oberto
Fabricio Oberto
Fabricio Raúl Jesús Oberto is an Argentine professional basketball player. At and , he plays as a center. With Liga Nacional de Básquet in his native Argentina, Oberto began playing professionally in 1993 and later played overseas with teams in Spain and Greece...
.
Though women's basketball is not professional in Argentina, the national team participates in most of the international competitions, reaching its highest point at the 2006 FIBA World Championship for Women
2006 FIBA World Championship for Women
The 2006 FIBA World Championship for Women took place in Brazil from September 12 to September 23, 2006. It was co-organised by the International Basketball Federation and Confederação Brasileira de Basketball, the Brazilian national federation....
, when they finished in 9th place.
Rugby union
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
(the national team) have become one of the most powerful rugby national teams, finishing third in the 2007 Rugby World Cup played in France; they rose as high as third in the IRB World Rankings
IRB World Rankings
The IRB World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in rugby union, managed by the International Rugby Board , the sport's governing body. The teams of the IRB's member nations are ranked based on their game results, with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
immediately after their World Cup run, and are now eighth. Since November 2004, Argentina have picked up at least one win over all the participants in Europe's Six Nations Championship
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
, drawn with the British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
, and narrowly lost to the All Blacks (who had to survive a last-second assault on their try line). In particular, they have had an enviable record in recent years against France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
—going 7–2 since 2000, with the losses by a combined total of 7 points.
Most important Argentine players emigrate to Europe (mainly to England and France) where they play professionally. Probably the best known players are Hugo Porta
Hugo Porta
Hugo Porta is a former Argentine Rugby Union footballer, an inductee of both the International Rugby Hall of Fame and IRB Hall of Fame, and one of the best fly-halves the sport has seen...
(played during the 1970s and the 1980s); current Pumas captain Felipe Contepomi
Felipe Contepomi
Felipe Contepomi is an Argentine rugby union footballer. A fly-half and centre, he currently plays for Stade Francais of the French Top 14; he made his debut for the club in November 2009 after recovering from a torn ACL suffered in a 2008–09 Heineken Cup match with his previous club, Magners...
; his immediate predecessor as captain, Agustín Pichot
Agustín Pichot
Agustín Pichot is a retired Argentine rugby union player, formerly captain of the Argentine team and the English club Bristol. In addition to Bristol, he played for French sides Stade Français and Racing Métro after leaving Argentine team CASI from San Isidro in 1997...
; current star utility back Juan Martín Hernández
Juan Martín Hernández
Juan Martín Hernández is an Argentine rugby union player. A mainstay of the Argentina national team, he currently plays for the Paris club Racing Métro in the French Top 14 competition. His 2010 move to Racing brought him back to the city where he had begun his professional career in 2003 with...
; Marcelo Loffreda
Marcelo Loffreda
Marcelo Loffreda is a rugby player and coach, until recently head coach for the English club power Leicester Tigers. Loffreda won 44 caps with one as captain, playing at centre for the Argentine rugby union side...
, a former Puma who coached the team during their 2007 World Cup run before leaving to take up the coaching post at English club
Guinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
power Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
; and the current head coach, 1990s Pumas star Santiago Phelan
Santiago Phelan
Santiago Phelan is a retired Argentine rugby union footballer. His usual position was flanker....
.
There has always been discussion regarding the possibility of Argentina joining the Tri Nations alongside the main Southern Hemisphere powers of , New Zealand
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
and , although this proposal and a similar one to join the Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
Southern Hemisphere professional league have both been consistently denied. More recently, Argentina has lobbied for inclusion in the Six Nations, which arguably makes more sense for the country, considering that most top Argentine players are based in Europe. In 2006, both Pichot and Loffreda publicly urged that Argentina be admitted to the Six Nations, with both on record as being willing to have the Pumas play their "home" fixtures in Europe (possibly in Spain or Portugal) to alleviate travel issues for all teams involved. However, while these discussions were ongoing, The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
of London reported in February 2007 that the sport's world governing body, the International Rugby Board
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
, was brokering a deal with Tri Nations organiser SANZAR
SANZAR
SANZAR is the body which operates Super Rugby and Tri Nations competitions in rugby union. It is a joint venture of the South African Rugby Union, the New Zealand Rugby Union and the Australian Rugby Union, formed in 1996.Created shortly after rugby's move to professionalism in 1995, SANZAR's two...
that could have seen Los Pumas admitted to that competition as early as 2008. However, this plan was not implemented; ultimately, after the Pumas 2007 World Cup run, it was decided that the earliest that the team could enter a major international competition would be 2012, and that the Pumas would eventually join the Tri Nations. SANZAR has since extended a provisional invitation for Argentina to join an expanded Tri Nations in 2012.
Tennis
Tennis is quite popular among people of all ages, ever since the 1970s with Guillermo Vilas
Guillermo Vilas
Guillermo Apolinario Vilas is a retired and former World No. 2 professional tennis player from Argentina. He was the second Latin-American to win a Grand Slam tournament.-Career:...
and later with Gabriela Sabatini
Gabriela Sabatini
Gabriela Beatriz Sabatini is a former professional Argentine tennis player. She was one of the leading players on the women's circuit in the late-1980s and early-1990s...
in the 1980s both reached the number 2 position and winning several Grand Slams. Even though no Argentine player reached the first place at the ATP rankings, there are many Argentine players within the most important in the circuit. During the 2000s, a number of Argentine players were among the top 10 of the ranking. The highlights of that succes were an all-Argentine final in the 2004 French Open
2004 French Open
The 2004 French Open was the 103rd edition of the tournament. Gastón Gaudio became the first men's Open Era Grand Slam title winner to save match points in the final; the last time that had happened was 70 years earlier. Gaudio also became the first Argentine man since Guillermo Vilas to win a...
, the hit of David Nalbandian
David Nalbandian
David Pablo Nalbandian is an Argentine professional tennis player and former world no. 3. He was runner-up at the 2002 Wimbledon Championships and the winner of the Tennis Masters Cup in 2005.-Biography:...
winning the 2005 Tennis Masters Cup
2005 Tennis Masters Cup
The 2005 Tennis Masters Cup was a tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts. It was the 36th edition of the year-end singles championships, the 31st edition of the year-end doubles championships, and was part of the 2005 ATP Tour...
to world number 1 Roger Federer
Roger Federer
Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles...
. In that edition of the Tennis Masters Cup were gathering the top 8 players of the season there were 4 Argentine players, a record for any nationality in the history of the Masters Tournament. Most recently, Juan Martín del Potro
Juan Martin Del Potro
Juan Martín del Potro is an Argentine professional tennis player. Del Potro achieved a top-10 ranking by the Association of Tennis Professionals for the first time on October 6, 2008. In January 2010, he reached a career-high ranking of world no. 4...
has emerged as one of the leading players in the world, having won the 2009 US Open
2009 US Open (tennis)
The 2009 US Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts, held from August 31 to September 14, 2009 in the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows, New York City, United States. Originally, it was scheduled to end with the mens' singles final match on Sunday,...
, beating Roger Federer, days before the Argentine turn 21 years old. Argentina won the World Team Cup
World Team Cup
The World Team Cup is the international team championship of the Association of Tennis Professionals . The tournament has been contested annually since 1978 and is generally considered to be second most prestigious men's team competition in tennis after the Davis Cup.Every year, the eight nations...
four times, in 1980, 2002, 2007
2007 World Team Cup
The 2007 ARAG World Team Cup was a tennis tournament play on outdoor clay courts. It was the 29th edition of the World Team Cup, and was part of the 250 series of the 2007 ATP Tour...
and 2010
2010 ARAG World Team Cup
The 2010 ARAG World Team Cup was a tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 32nd edition of the World Team Cup, and was part of the 250 series of the 2010 ATP World Tour...
. The Argentine team also reached the semifinals of the Davis Cup
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...
6 times in the last 9 years, losing in the finals of 2006
2006 Davis Cup
The 2006 Davis Cup was the 95th edition of the most important tournament between nations in men's tennis. Sixteen teams participated in the World Group and 125 participated in total...
and 2008
2008 Davis Cup
The 2008 Davis Cup was the 97th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. Sixteen teams participated in the World Group and more than one hundred others took part in different regional groups. The first matches were played on February 8–10...
, to Russia in Moscow, and to Spain in Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata is an Argentine city located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, south of Buenos Aires. Mar del Plata is the second largest city of Buenos Aires Province. The name "Mar del Plata" had apparently the sense of "sea of the Río de la Plata region" or "adjoining sea to the Río de la Plata"...
, Argentina, respectively. Increasing this defeats in the last stage of the competition is the loss in the final of 1981
1981 Davis Cup
The 1981 Davis Cup was the 70th edition of the tournament between national teams in men's tennis. This was the first year that the tournament moved to a tiered system, with the creation of the 16-team World Group...
against United States in Cincinnati.
Field hockey
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Las Leonas
Argentina national women's field hockey team represents Argentina in women's field hockey. They are also known by the nickname Las Leonas, meaning "The Lionesses"...
(Argentina's national women's team) is one of the usual contenders in all the premier tournaments in women's Field Hockey. They conquered the Women's World Hockey Cup in 2002 and 2010
2010 Women's Hockey World Cup
The 2010 Women's Hockey World Cup was the twelfth tournament of the Women's Hockey World Cup. It was being held from August 29 to September 11, 2010 in Rosario, Argentina. The country was awarded the rights on March 23, 2007. Argentina won the tournament after beating Netherlands 3–1 in the final...
. In the Olympics they won a silver medal in 2000, as well as bronze in 2004 and 2008. Also Las Leonas
Las Leonas
Argentina national women's field hockey team represents Argentina in women's field hockey. They are also known by the nickname Las Leonas, meaning "The Lionesses"...
won the annual Hockey Champions Trophy in four occasions, 2001
2001 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy
The 9th edition of the Women's Champions Trophy took place in the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen, just like a year before, but this time the tournament ran from Saturday August 18 to Sunday August 26, 2001...
, 2008
2008 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy
The 2008 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy is the 16th edition of the Hockey Champions Trophy for women. It was held from May 17 to May 25, 2008 in Mönchengladbach, Germany.-Teams:Teams as follow:...
, 2009
2009 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy
The 2009 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy was the 17th edition of the Hockey Champions Trophy for women. It was held from 11 July to 19 July 2009 in Sydney, Australia. The tournament was won by Argentina who defeated Australia 4–3 in the final on penalty strokes after a 0–0 draw...
and 2010
2010 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy
The 2010 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy was the 18th edition of the Hockey Champions Trophy for women. It was held from July 10–18, 2010 in Nottingham, England...
.
In the other hand the men's team hasn't been able to win any major tournament except for the hockey tournaments at the 1971
1971 Pan American Games
The 6th Pan American Games were held in Cali, Colombia, from July 30 to August 13, 1971. The then called "Salsa World Capital", located at the foot of the Andes Mountains, hosted a total of 2,935 athletes from 32 countries, who participated in seventeen sports...
and 2003
2003 Pan American Games
The 14th Pan American Games were held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, from 1 to 17 August 2003. The successful bid for the games was made in the mid-1990s, when this country had one of the highest growth rates in Latin America....
Pan American Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
, although they won the 2005
2005 Men's Champions Challenge (field hockey)
The 2005 Men's Champions Challenge was the third tournament of the Champions Challenge. It took place in Alexandria, Egypt from April 1 to April 9, 2005....
and 2007
2007 Men's Hockey Champions Challenge
The 2007 Men's Hockey Champions Challenge was the fourth edition of the bi-annual Champions Challenge. It took place in Boom, Belgium from June 23 to July 1, 2007....
Champions Challenges
Champions Challenge (field hockey)
The Hockey Champions Challenge is an international field hockey tournament, played every two years. It was introduced in 2001 by the International Hockey Federation in order to broaden hockey's competitive base at world level.-Men:...
, and are usually positioned among the top ten teams in the world participating in the World Cups and Champions Trophies.
Rink hockey
Rink hockey is mainly played in the CuyoCuyo (Argentina)
Cuyo is the name given to the wine-producing, mountainous area of central-west Argentina. Historically it comprised the provinces of San Juan, San Luis and Mendoza. The term New Cuyo is a modern one, which indicates both Cuyo proper and the province of La Rioja...
region (especially in San Juan Province
San Juan Province (Argentina)
San Juan is a province of Argentina, located in the western part of the country. Neighbouring provinces are, moving clockwise from the north, La Rioja, San Luis and Mendoza. It borders with Chile at the west....
). Argentine players have an international quality, with the men's national team has won 4 Rink Hockey World Championship
Rink Hockey World Championship
The FIRS Roller Hockey World Cup is a roller hockey competition also referred as the World Championship – A between the best male national teams in the World. It happens every two years and it is organized by FIRS....
titles. The woman national team also has won 3 World titles. Argentine Clubs such as Olimpia and UVT have also won international titles.
Boxing
- For a list of Argentine boxers see :Category:Argentine boxers
Pascual Pérez (boxing)
Pascual Nicolás Pérez was an Argentine flyweight boxer. Pérez was born in Tupungato in the Mendoza Province of Argentina, he went on to make history by becoming Argentina's first world boxing champion....
was Argentina's first world boxing champion. There Argentine boxing legends such as Carlos Monzón
Carlos Monzón
Carlos Monzón was an Argentine professional boxer who held the undisputed world middleweight title for 7 years, during which he successfully defended the title 14 times....
, Santos Laciar
Santos Laciar
Santos Benigno Laciar , known familiarly as Santos Laciar and nicknamed Falucho, was an Argentine world flyweight champion.-Biography:Laciar was born in Huinca Renancó, in the province of Córdoba, Argentina....
and Juan Martin Coggi
Juan Martin Coggi
Juan Martin Coggi is a former boxer from Argentina. A native of Santa Fe , which was also the birthplace of Carlos Monzón, Coggi was a three time world light welterweight champion. He had 75 wins, 5 losses and 2 draws, with 44 wins by knockout...
held the world champion's title in their categories. Argentine boxers have, as of 2004, earned 24 Olympic medals, including seven gold medals.
Argentine boxer Victor Galindez
Víctor Galíndez
Víctor Emilio Galíndez was an Argentine boxer who was the third Latin American to win the world Light Heavyweight championship, after Puerto Rico's José Torres and Venezuela's Vicente Rondon.Galíndez was born in Vedia in the Leandro N...
was the third Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
to win the world's Light-Heavyweight title (after Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
's José Torres
José Torres
José Torres , was a Puerto Rican professional boxer. As an amateur boxer, he won a silver medal in the junior middleweight at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. In 1965, he defeated Willie Pastrano to win the WBC and WBA light heavyweight championships...
and Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
's Vicente Rondon
Vicente Rondon
Vicente Paúl Rondón was a former WBA light heavyweight boxing world champion.- Personal background :Rondon was born in extreme poverty in Río Chico, Miranda, Venezuela, and decided to escape his poor surroundings by enlisting in the Venezuelan military at an early age.- Professional career :When...
, WBA
World Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
-recognized champion during the middle 1970s). Galindez died after he was run over by a car during an auto racing
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
competition that he took part of.
In 1994, WBA world Middleweight champion Jorge Castro
Jorge Castro (boxer)
Jorge Fernando "Locomotora" Castro , is an Argentine boxer and former middleweight champion of the world, who is best known for his second defense of the title against John David Jackson in 1994....
knocked out John David Jackson
John David Jackson (boxer)
John David Jackson , is a former professional boxer who held world titles in the light middleweight and middleweight divisions, and later became a boxing trainer after his career ended.-Professional Career:...
in the ninth round to retain his title in Monterrey, Mexico. Since Castro was on the brink of suffering a technical knockout loss when he won the fight, the punch with which he beat Jackson has become known as boxing's version of Diego Maradona's Hand of God goal.
Marcela Acuna
Marcela Acuña
Marcela Eliana Acuña is an Argentine female boxer, who is nicknamed La Tigresa. Her mother wished for Acuña to become a ballerina, but that was never Acuña's dream....
is a world champion female boxer
Women's boxing
Women's boxing first appeared in the Olympic Games at a demonstration bout in 1902. For most of the 20th century, however, it was banned in most nations. Its revival was pioneered by the Swedish Amateur Boxing Association, which sanctioned events for women in 1988. The British Amateur Boxing...
and arguably one of the most popular fighters of the 2000s in Argentina.
Other fighters, such as Oscar Bonavena
Oscar Bonavena
Oscar Natalio "Ringo" Bonavena was a heavyweight professional boxer with a career record of 58 wins, 9 losses and 1 draw. A rugged, wild-swinging puncher, he was nicknamed "Ringo" because of his Beatles haircut, and enjoyed professional success in both Argentina and the United States...
, Juan Roldán
Juan Roldán
Juan Domingo Roldán is an Argentine former boxer whose nickname was Martillo . Roldán was very famous across Latin America during the 1980s, many articles about him appearing on Ring En Español magazine....
and Luis Firpo
Luis Firpo
Luis Ángel Firpo, , was an Argentine boxer. Born in Junín, Argentina, he was nicknamed "The Wild Bull of The Pampas."...
, did not win world championships but were also popular among boxing fans during their years as professional fighters.
On 17 April 2010, Sergio Martínez
Sergio Gabriel Martínez
Sergio Gabriel Martínez is an Argentine professional boxer and the current The Ring middleweight champion....
outpointed American Kelly Pavlik
Kelly Pavlik
Kelly Pavlik is an American professional boxer. He was The Ring, WBC, & WBO middleweight champion from when he beat Jermain Taylor on September 29, 2007 until he lost his titles to Sergio Martinez on April 17, 2010....
in Atlantic City to become the lineal Middleweight
Middleweight
Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1897...
champion of the world.
Volleyball
Volleyball has a professional male league. Argentina national volleyball team's best achievements are the bronze medals at the 1988 Summer OlympicsVolleyball at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Volleyball at the 1988 Summer Olympics was represented by two events: men's team and women's team.-Medal table:-Medal summary:-References:*...
and 1982 FIVB Men's World Championship
1982 FIVB Men's World Championship
The 1982 FIVB Men's Volleyball World Championship was the tenth edition of the tournament, organised by the world's governing body, the FIVB. It was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina from October 2 to October 15, 1982.-Teams:Group A – Buenos Aires...
. Male team is usually ranked
FIVB World Rankings
The FIVB World Rankings is a ranking system for men's and women's national teams in volleyball. The teams of the member nations of FIVB, volleyball's world governing body, are ranked based on their competitions results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
by the FIVB
Fédération Internationale de Volleyball
The Fédération Internationale de Volleyball , commonly known by the acronym FIVB, is the international governing body for the sport of indoor, beach and grass volleyball.. Its headquarters are located in Lausanne, Switzerland and its current president is Wei Jizhong .- History :The FIVB was founded...
among the best 10 national teams in the world. The boys volleyball team are ranked number one in the world, and they won a silver medal at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics
Volleyball at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics
Volleyball at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics took place August 21–26 at Toa Payoh Sports Hall in Singapore.-Teams:-Medal Summary:-Boys:-Girls:-External Links:* *...
.
Female volleyball is not played professionally. The national team is less important internationally than its male counterpart (FIVB's 17th place).
Auto racing
From rallyRallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
to Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
, auto racing is a sport followed by a number of fans in Argentina. Formula one legend Juan Manuel Fangio
Juan Manuel Fangio
Juan Manuel Fangio , nicknamed El Chueco or El Maestro , was a racing car driver from Argentina, who dominated the first decade of Formula One racing...
was five time world champion and has held the record of most victories for many years. Years after Fangio's career was over, Carlos Reutemann
Carlos Reutemann
Carlos Alberto Reutemann , nicknamed "Lole", is an Argentine former racing driver , and later a politician in his native province of Santa Fe, for the Justicialist Party....
was the best known Argentine driver of the 1970s. Argentine competitions include the TC 2000
TC 2000
The TC 2000 Championship is a touring car racing series held in Argentina since 1979. It's considered the most advanced racing car series in South America and one of the top 10 touring car series in the world.-Rules:...
and Turismo Carretera
Turismo Carretera
Turismo Carretera is a popular touring car racing series in Argentina, and the oldest car racing series still active in the world....
road racing
Road racing
Road racing is a general term for most forms of motor racing held on paved, purpose-built race tracks , as opposed to oval tracks and off-road racing...
series as well as Rally Argentina
Rally Argentina
The Rally Argentina is an Argentine rally competition that has been both a round of the World Rally Championship and also the Intercontinental Rally Challenge. The rally is also a round of the South American Rally Championship and the Argentine Rally Championship...
of the World Rally Championship
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...
. Argentina has also hosted the 2009
2009 Dakar Rally
The 2009 Dakar Rally was the 30th running of the Dakar Rally. In addition to motorcycle, automobile, and truck categories, a separate quad class was added for the first time. The race began on January 3, 2009, and took place across Argentina and Chile...
and 2010
2010 Dakar Rally
The 2010 Dakar Rally was the 31st running of the event. It was held in South America for the second successive time, and ran from 1 to 16 January...
edition of the Dakar Rally
Dakar Rally
The Dakar Rally is an annual rally raid type of off-road automobile race, organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation...
along with Chile. And will do it again in 2011. Former events include the defunct Formula One Argentine Grand Prix
Argentine Grand Prix
The Argentine Grand Prix was a round of the Formula One championship, held intermittently from to . Although it is no longer on the Formula One calendar, the race has a long and varied history...
and World Sportscar Championship
World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...
's 1000 km Buenos Aires
1000 km Buenos Aires
The 1000 km Buenos Aires was an endurance sports car event held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The race mostly run on the Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez, although it would run the Costanera circuit in 1957...
.
Golf
Among the best in South America, important Argentine golfers include Antonio CerdáAntonio Cerdá
Antonio Cerdá is an Argentine professional golfer.Cerdá finished second in the 1951 British Open to Max Faulkner, and second in the 1953 British Open to Ben Hogan, among seven consecutive top-ten finishes in the championship. He won several national opens in Europe in the 1950s and won the first...
, José Cóceres
José Cóceres
José Eusebio Cóceres is an Argentine golfer who spent many years on the European Tour and is now a member of the U.S.-based PGA Tour....
, Roberto DeVicenzo
Roberto DeVicenzo
Roberto De Vicenzo is a former professional golfer from Argentina. He won more than 230 tournaments worldwide in his career including eight on the PGA Tour and most famously the 1967 Open Championship.-Biography:...
, Eduardo Romero
Eduardo Romero
Eduardo Alejandro Romero is an Argentine professional golfer.Romero was born in Córdoba. He turned professional in 1982 at a relatively advanced age...
, Ángel Cabrera
Angel Cabrera
Ángel Cabrera is an Argentine professional golfer who plays on both the European Tour and PGA Tour. He is known affectionately as "El Pato" in Spanish or in English as "The duck" for his waddling gait. He is a former U.S. Open champion and Masters champion. He is the first Argentine to win either...
, Andrés Romero
Andres Romero
For the Chilean footballer with the same name see Andrés Romero Andrés Fabián Romero is an Argentine professional golfer who plays on both the PGA Tour and European Tour....
and Ricardo González. DeVicenzo and Cerdá won the 1953 Canada Cup. In history argentines golfers won three Majors, DeVicenzo the British Open
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
in 1967
1967 Open Championship
The 1967 Open Championship was a golf competition held at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake. The competition was won by Roberto De Vicenzo, with Nicklaus 2nd and Player tied for 3rd with Clive Clark.-First round:-Second round:...
, and Ángel Cabrera the U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
in 2007 and the Augusta Masters in 2009
2009 Masters Tournament
The 2009 Masters Tournament was the 73rd Masters Tournament held at Augusta National Golf Club and was played from April 9-12. This was the first major championship of the 2009 season.-Field:...
.
Polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
team won their first Olympic Gold Medal in 1924. Adolfo Cambiaso
Adolfo Cambiaso
Adolfo Cambiaso born April 15, 1975 in Cañuelas, Buenos Aires Province is an Argentine polo player with a 10-goal handicap. Currently, he is ranked number 1. He is often referred to as Adolfito or Dolfi.-Early years:...
, Gonzalo Pieres
Gonzalo Pieres
Gonzalo Pieres, Jr. born December 17, 1982 in Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Province is a professional Argentine polo player with a 10 goal handicap. Currently, he is ranked number 2.- Biography :...
his brother Facundo
Facundo Pieres
Facundo Pieres born May 19, 1986 in Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Province is a professional Argentine polo player with a 10-goal handicap. Currently, he is ranked number 2.- Biography :...
, the Novillo Astrada brothers, the Heguy's, Tommy Iriarte are currently ranked amongst the best polo players in the world. The three most important polo tournaments in the world, The Argentine Open
Campeonato Argentino Abierto de Polo
The Campeonato Argentino Abierto de Polo is the most important international polo championship at club level, that has taken place every year since 1893 at the Catedral del Polo in Palermo barrio in Buenos Aires, Argentina.It was known as the River Plate Polo Championship between 1893-1923, and as...
, The Hurlingham Open
Hurlingham Club (Argentina)
The Hurlingham Club of Argentina is a golf and polo club in Hurlingham, Buenos Aires Province.-History:It is named after the Hurlingham Club in London and was set up in 1888 by the local Anglo-Argentine community...
and the Tortugas Open are held in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. Historically, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
have always been a leading country in this international handicapped
Polo handicap
A polo handicap is a system created by Henry Lloyd Herbert, first president of the United States Polo Association, at the founding of the USPA in 1890 so teams could be more evenly matched when using players with varying abilities....
sport and have been uninterrupted world champions since 1949 and Argentine players comprise most of the world's top ten players.
Cricket
World Cricket League
The ICC World Cricket League is a series of international one-day cricket tournaments for national teams without Test status, administered by the International Cricket Council. All associate and affiliate members of the ICC are eligible to compete in the league system, which features a promotion...
, and the Argentina national women's cricket team
Argentina national women's cricket team
The Argentina national women's cricket team is the team that represents the country of Argentina in international women's cricket matches. They played their first match against a national development XI on 18 June 2007, and are set to take part in an Americas Cup tournament in Toronto, Canada in...
at the Women's version of the ICC Americas Championship
ICC Americas Championship
The ICC Americas Championship is a one-day cricket tournament organised by the Americas Cricket Association for non-Test national cricket teams in the Americas...
. Though a minority sport here, Argentina is the strongest team in mainland South America currently playing in division 4 of world cricket league. There is a huge scope of development of the sport in this country, given that there are a large number of British descendants in Argentina.
Olympic Games
Argentina was one of eight founding members of the International Olympic CommitteeInternational Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
and first participated in the Olympic Games
Summer Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
in 1900
1900 Summer Olympics
The 1900 Summer Olympics, today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1900 in Paris, France. No opening or closing ceremonies were held; competitions began on May 14 and ended on October 28. The Games were held as part of...
with one single athlete. Argentine olympic competitors have, from 1900 to 2004, garnered 60 medals (gold, 15; silver, 23; bronze, 22); from 1924 to 1952 its athletes had good showings, giving the Argentine delegations global ranks of between 16th and 19th. From 1956 to 2000, however, Argentina did not win any gold medals, a situation that was reversed in 2004
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
when it acquired two and further so, in 2008
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
.
Sailing
Argentina has 8 olympic medals in this sport (4 silvers and 4 bronze), and Argentinian experience and level in this sport are high even between young children competing in optimist class boats.Padel tennis
Padel TennisPadel Tennis
Padel tennis is a racquet sport played extensively in Spain and Latin America.Padel is typically played in doubles on an enclosed court about half the size of a tennis court...
is played by four and a half million amateur players in thirty five thousand courts: it is the most participated sport in Argentina.http://www.paddleitalia.it/numeri.htm Professional players compete in national circuit of tournaments and Argentinian professional wrestling.