Sport in Venezuela
Encyclopedia
The major sports in Venezuela are baseball, and football. Baseball in Venezuela
originates with the early twentieth century cultural influence of United States oil companies. The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
was established in 1945. Football in Venezuela
lags behind baseball, but its popularity in recent years has grown. Basketball and rugby union
are also popular sports; there has been a national basketball league
since 1974. The Vuelta a Venezuela
is one of six cycling events in the UCI America Tour. The polo
club Lechuza Caracas
has had some success in North American polo competitions.
In international competitions, Venezuela has participated in the Olympics
since 1948, and the Winter Olympic Games
since 1998. It won its first Olympic medal in 1952
when Arnoldo Devonish
won bronze in the Men's Triple Jump
, and its first Olympic gold in 1968 (Francisco Rodríguez, light flyweight boxing). Venezuela first competed in the Paralympics
in 1984, and won its first Paralympic gold in 2008 (Naomi Soazo
, judo).
Venezuela participates in the Pan American Games
and the Central American and Caribbean Games
, with Caracas
hosting these games in 1983
and in 1959
respectively. Venezuela has had a Davis Cup team
since 1957.
Though golf is a minor sport under pressure in Venezuela, the emergence of Jhonattan (Johnny) Vegas
on the PGA Tour in 2011 and his strong showing as a rookie there has raised its profile.
Baseball
is the most popular sport in Venezuela.
The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
was established in 1945, with Leones del Caracas
the leading team; another leading club is Valencia
's Navegantes del Magallanes
, established in 1917. There is a Venezuelan Summer League
(established in 1997) and winter league (Liga Paralela
). Venezuelan teams have won the Caribbean Series a number of times.
The Venezuela national baseball team
won the Baseball World Cup several times in the 1940s, and the Baseball tournament at the Pan American Games
in 1959.
Venezuelan players in US-Canadian Major League Baseball
number over 200 since 1939. The Luis Aparicio Award
was established in 2004, in honor of Luis Aparicio
, the only Venezuelan ballplayer to have been introducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame
in Cooperstown, New York
. The award is given annually to honor the Venezuelan player who recorded the best individual performance in Major League Baseball
, as voted on by Sports journalists in Venezuela.
Football is a widely practiced and popular sport in Venezuela, although the sport has lagged behind baseball
in terms of popularity.
The Federación Venezolana de Fútbol
was established in 1926 following the creation of the Liga Venezolana
in 1921. Professionalism was not established until 1957 with the Copa de Venezuela
arriving two years later. Caracas Fútbol Club
is the country's most successful club side. A second division was added in 1979, with a third added in 1999, and a 4th in 2006.
The Venezuela national football team
played their first game in 1938. Following Ecuador
's qualification for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
, Venezuela are now the only CONMEBOL member to have never appeared at a FIFA World Cup
. However the team are no longer seen as pushovers and are now recognised as stern opposition. Their growing status was further demonstrated by their hosting of the Copa América 2011 during which they reached the Quarterfinals.
An under-20 team
, an under-17 team
, and a women's team
also compete.
The Venezuela Basketball Association controls the men's
and women's basketball teams.
is a popular team sport in Venezuela. Rugby union is considered the fourth most popular sport in Venezuela, after baseball
, football, and basketball
.
Jhonattan Vegas
is Venezuela's most famous golfer, he was born in Maturin
, Venezuela
. He played college golf at the University of Texas.
Vegas turned professional in 2008 and started playing the Nationwide tour in 2009.
Vegas represented Venezuela in the 2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup
with Alfredo Adrian. They finished tied for twelfth place. Vegas won his first Nationwide Tour event in 2010 at the Preferred 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 the Bob Hope Classic in La Quinta, California
, and a week later finished tied for third in the Farmers Insurance Open at the Torrey Pines Golf Course
, a municipal public golf course in San Diego.
The sport has come under criticism from, and courses have been closed by, President Hugo Chavez
. "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."
The Caracas Country Club, associated with the United States and the oil industry and designed in the 1920s by the Olmsted 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 and land-use reasons for change.
is a growing sport in Venezuela, but there are lots of Venezuelan swimmers who compete internationally.
(The Garrote Game) or Garrote Larense, is a Venezuelan martial art that involves machete
, garrote
, and knife fencing.
. Very similar to a rodeo
, it involves a small group of llanero
s (cowboys) on horseback pursuing cattle at high speeds through a narrow pathway (called a manga de coleo) in order to drop or tumble them. Coleos are usually presented as a side attraction to a larger event, such as a religious festival. They are very popular in Venezuela in the plains region (llanos
).
Baseball in Venezuela
Baseball in Venezuela originates with the early twentieth century cultural influence of United States oil companies, and is the country's leading sport. The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League is a winter league that was established in 1945, with Leones del Caracas the leading team; another...
originates with the early twentieth century cultural influence of United States oil companies. The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League or Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional is the highest level baseball league in Venezuela.-Brief history:Baseball exploded in Venezuela in 1941, following the world championship in Havana....
was established in 1945. Football in Venezuela
Football in Venezuela
Football is a widely practiced and popular sport in Venezuela, although the sport has lagged behind baseball in terms of popularity. The country has proven one of the biggest underachievers in CONMEBOL and was formerly known as the Cenicienta of the region....
lags behind baseball, but its popularity in recent years has grown. Basketball and rugby union
Rugby union in Venezuela
Rugby union is a team sport that is played in Venezuela. It is not as popular as sports such as association football, baseball, volleyball or basketball, but it is played at some universities throughout the country.-Governing body:...
are also popular sports; there has been a national basketball league
Liga Profesional de Baloncesto (Venezuela)
The Liga Profesional de Baloncesto is the Venezuelan National Basketball League.-Teams:*Cocodrilos de Caracas*Guaiqueríes de Margarita*Trotamundos de Carabobo*Panteras de Miranda*Marinos de Anzoátegui*Gaiteros del Zulia*Guaros de Lara...
since 1974. The Vuelta a Venezuela
Vuelta a Venezuela
The Vuelta a Venezuela is a men's multi-day road bicycle racing stage race held annually in September in Venezuela. The Vuelta a Venezuela carries a UCI rating of 2.2 and is part of the UCI America Tour, which is one of six UCI Continental Circuits sponsored by the Union Cycliste Internationale,...
is one of six cycling events in the UCI America Tour. The 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...
club Lechuza Caracas
Lechuza Caracas
Lechuza Caracas is a Venezuelan polo club owned by the Venezuelan Victor Vargas, owner of Banco Occidental de Descuento.Lechuza reached the final of the 2009 CV Whitney Cup. Lechuza also "reached the U.S. Open final in 2003, according to the North American Polo League Web site. The team twice won C.V...
has had some success in North American polo competitions.
In international competitions, Venezuela has participated in the Olympics
Venezuela at the Olympics
Venezuela first participated at the Olympic Games in 1948, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then. Venezuela has also participated in the Winter Olympic Games since 1998....
since 1948, and the Winter Olympic Games
Winter Olympic Games
The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating...
since 1998. It won its first Olympic medal in 1952
Venezuela at the 1952 Summer Olympics
Venezuela competed at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. 38 competitors, 36 men and 2 women, took part in 37 events in 8 sports...
when Arnoldo Devonish
Arnoldo Devonish
Arnoldo Vicente Devonish Romero was a track and field athlete from Venezuela, who won the first Olympic medal for his native country from South America....
won bronze in the Men's Triple Jump
Triple jump
The triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a...
, and its first Olympic gold in 1968 (Francisco Rodríguez, light flyweight boxing). Venezuela first competed in the Paralympics
Venezuela at the Paralympics
Venezuela made its Paralympic Games début at the 1984 Summer Paralympics in Stoke Mandeville and New York, sending five competitors in athletics and one in swimming. Absent from the Games in 1988, it returned in 1992, and has participated in every edition of the Summer Paralympics since then...
in 1984, and won its first Paralympic gold in 2008 (Naomi Soazo
Naomi Soazo
Naomi Soazo is a Venezuelan judoka. She competes in judo events for the visually impaired and blind.Soazo has competed in a number of international events, such as the International Blind Sports Federation World Championships, but is best known for being the only Venezuelan, in any sport, to have...
, judo).
Venezuela participates in the Pan American Games
Venezuela at the Pan American Games
-Medal count:-External links:* Official site....
and the Central American and Caribbean Games
Central American and Caribbean Games
The Central American and Caribbean Games are a multi-sport regional championships event, held quadrennial , typically in the middle year between Summer Olympics...
, with Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
hosting these games in 1983
1983 Pan American Games
The ninth Pan American Games were held in Caracas, Venezuela from August 14 to August 29, 1983. The games were the first major international competition to include relatively accurate steroid testing...
and in 1959
1959 Central American and Caribbean Games
The 8th Central American and Caribbean Games were held in Caracas, Venezuela, and it was the first time this nation had held the Games. The Games were held from 6 January to 15 January 1959 and included 1.150 athletes from seventeen nations, competing in twelve sports.-References:...
respectively. Venezuela has had a Davis Cup team
Venezuela Davis Cup team
The Venezuela Davis Cup team represents Venezuela in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Federación Venezolana de Tenis.Venezuela currently compete in the Americas Zone Group II. They have never competed in the World Group, but reached the Play-offs in 1995 and 2002....
since 1957.
Though golf is a minor sport under pressure in Venezuela, the emergence of Jhonattan (Johnny) Vegas
Jhonattan Vegas
Jhonattan Vegas is a Venezuelan professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.Vegas was born in Maturín, Venezuela. He played college golf at the University of Texas....
on the PGA Tour in 2011 and his strong showing as a rookie there has raised its profile.
Baseball
Baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
is the most popular sport in Venezuela.
The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League or Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional is the highest level baseball league in Venezuela.-Brief history:Baseball exploded in Venezuela in 1941, following the world championship in Havana....
was established in 1945, with Leones del Caracas
Leones del Caracas
The Leones del Caracas is a Venezuelan baseball team that plays in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Since its inception, the team has played in the Estadio Universitario in Caracas...
the leading team; another leading club is Valencia
Valencia, Venezuela
Valencia is the capital city of Carabobo State, and the third largest city of Venezuela.The city is an economic hub that contains Venezuela's top industries and manufacturing companies. The population of Valencia reached some 1.5 million in the year 2003, and it is expected to grow dramatically...
's Navegantes del Magallanes
Navegantes del Magallanes
The Navegantes del Magallanes are a baseball team in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Based in Valencia, the Navegantes have won ten LVBP championships and two Caribbean World Series.-Pitchers:...
, established in 1917. There is a Venezuelan Summer League
Venezuelan Summer League
The Venezuelan Summer League is a minor league baseball rookie league which operates in Carabobo and Aragua states, Venezuela.The VSL was created in 1997, after several operational years of the Major League Baseball's academies in the country...
(established in 1997) and winter league (Liga Paralela
Liga paralela
Liga Paralela de Béisbol en Venezuela is a competition that runs parallel to the big competition in the winter period. This competition is the AA and AAA of the Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional; here is where you can see playing some big leaguers after the MLB competition is done...
). Venezuelan teams have won the Caribbean Series a number of times.
The Venezuela national baseball team
Venezuela national baseball team
The Venezuela national baseball team is the national team of Venezuela. They are currently ranked seventh in the world by the International Baseball Federation.-World Baseball Classic:...
won the Baseball World Cup several times in the 1940s, and the Baseball tournament at the Pan American Games
Baseball at the Pan American Games
The baseball tournament at the Pan American Games has long been considered to be one of the premier international baseball events in the world, even higher than the Olympic Games. This is because the level of competition is higher than in the Olympics, where only two teams from the Americas...
in 1959.
Venezuelan players in US-Canadian Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
number over 200 since 1939. The Luis Aparicio Award
Luis Aparicio Award
The Luis Aparicio Award is given annually to honor the Venezuelan player who recorded the best individual performance in Major League Baseball, as voted on by sports journalists in Venezuela....
was established in 2004, in honor of Luis Aparicio
Luis Aparicio
Luis Ernesto Aparicio Montiel is a former shortstop in professional baseball. His career in Major League Baseball spanned three decades, from through . Aparicio played for the Chicago White Sox , Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...
, the only Venezuelan ballplayer to have been introducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
in Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown is a village in Otsego County, New York, USA. It is located in the Town of Otsego. The population was estimated to be 1,852 at the 2010 census.The Village of Cooperstown is the county seat of Otsego County, New York...
. The award is given annually to honor the Venezuelan player who recorded the best individual performance in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, as voted on by Sports journalists in Venezuela.
Football
Football is a widely practiced and popular sport in Venezuela, although the sport has lagged behind baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
in terms of popularity.
The Federación Venezolana de Fútbol
Federación Venezolana de Fútbol
The Venezuelan Football Federation is the governing body of football in Venezuela. It was founded in 1926 and affiliated in 1952. It is a member of CONMEBOL and is in charge of the Venezuela national football team.-Copa America 2007:...
was established in 1926 following the creation of the Liga Venezolana
Primera División Venezolana
The Primera División , or Liga Venezolana is the top-flight professional football league of Venezuela. It was created in 1921 and turned professional in 1957...
in 1921. Professionalism was not established until 1957 with the Copa de Venezuela
Copa de Venezuela
The Copa Venezuela is the national cup football competition of Venezuela. Organized by the Venezuelan Football Federation, is it disputed in the first half of the season by the teams in the Primera División, Segunda División A, and Segunda División B....
arriving two years later. Caracas Fútbol Club
Caracas Fútbol Club
Caracas Fútbol Club is a Venezuelan football team based in Caracas. The club has won eleven First Division titles making it the most successful in Venezuelan football history....
is the country's most successful club side. A second division was added in 1979, with a third added in 1999, and a 4th in 2006.
The Venezuela national football team
Venezuela national football team
The Venezuela national football team is the national football team of Venezuela and is controlled by the Federación Venezolana de Fútbol. It is nicknamed La Vinotinto , because of the traditional burgundy color of their shirts....
played their first game in 1938. Following Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
's qualification for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, Venezuela are now the only CONMEBOL member to have never appeared at a FIFA 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...
. However the team are no longer seen as pushovers and are now recognised as stern opposition. Their growing status was further demonstrated by their hosting of the Copa América 2011 during which they reached the Quarterfinals.
An under-20 team
Venezuela national under-20 football team
Venezuela national under-20 football team represents Venezuela in international football competitions such as South American Youth Championship.-2009 South American Youth Championship:...
, an under-17 team
Venezuela national under-17 football team
-Current squad:Squad for 2011 South American Under-17 Football Championship-External links:...
, and a women's team
Venezuela women's national football team
The Venezuela women's national football team represents Venezuela in international women's football.-World Cup record:...
also compete.
Basketball
The Liga Professional de Baloncesto is a main Venezuelan Basketball League, which features 14 teams.The Venezuela Basketball Association controls the men's
Venezuela national basketball team
The Venezuela men's national basketball team represents the Venezuela Basketball Federation in international competitions such as the International Basketball Federation , the International Olympic Committee , the World Championship, the South American Basketball Championship, the Pan American...
and women's basketball teams.
Tennis
- Jorge AndrewJorge AndrewJorge Andrew , is a former professional tennis player from Venezuela. He enjoyed most of his tennis success while playing doubles. During his career he finished runner-up at 3 doubles events...
- Juan Carlos Bianchi
- Jose de ArmasJosé de ArmasJosé de Armas is a Venezuelan professional tennis player.-Runner-Up :-External links:*...
- Alfonso MoraAlfonso MoraAlfonso Mora , is a former professional tennis player from Venezuela. He enjoyed most of his tennis success while playing doubles. During his career he won 2 doubles titles. He achieved a career-high doubles ranking of World No. 89 in 1991. He is the husband of T.V...
- Gabriela Paz-FrancoGabriela Paz-FrancoGabriela Paz-Franco is a Venezuelan tennis player. She has a career high of 230 and has won five ITF titles in her career.-Career:...
- Nicolas PereiraNicolas PereiraNicolás Pereira is a former tennis player from Venezuela, who became International Tennis Federation Junior World Champion in 1988 after winning the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open....
- Maurice RuahMaurice RuahMaurice Ruah , is a former professional tennis player from Venezuela. He achieved a career-high doubles ranking of World No. 82 in 1994....
- Milagros SequeraMilagros SequeraMilagros Sequera is a professional female tennis player from San Felipe, Yaracuy, Venezuela. She joined the WTA Tour in 1999 and was ranked World No...
- Jimy SzymanskiJimy SzymanskiJimy Szymanski Ottaviano is a former tennis player from Venezuela.Turned professional in 1994, Szymanski reached his highest singles ATP ranking on November 15, 1999, when he became World No...
- Daniel VallverduDaniel VallverduDaniel Vallverdu is a Venezuelan tennis player who plays on the ATP Tour and ITF circuit. He has a career high singles ranking of #727 and his highest doubles ranking is #756 . He also competes for the Venezuelan team in the Davis Cup...
- María Vento-KabchiMaria Vento-KabchiMaría Alejandra Vento-Kabchi is a professional female tennis player from Venezuela. On July 19, 2004 she reached her career-high singles ranking: World No...
Rugby union
Rugby unionRugby 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...
is a popular team sport in Venezuela. Rugby union is considered the fourth most popular sport in Venezuela, after baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, football, and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
.
Cycling
- Major events: Vuelta al TachiraVuelta al TáchiraThe Vuelta ciclista al Táchira is a multi-day road bicycle racing stage race held annually each January in the state of Táchira, Venezuela...
, Vuelta a VenezuelaVuelta a VenezuelaThe Vuelta a Venezuela is a men's multi-day road bicycle racing stage race held annually in September in Venezuela. The Vuelta a Venezuela carries a UCI rating of 2.2 and is part of the UCI America Tour, which is one of six UCI Continental Circuits sponsored by the Union Cycliste Internationale,...
, Clasico Ciclistico BanfoandesClasico Ciclistico BanfoandesClasico Ciclistico Banfoandes is a road bicycle race held annually in Venezuela. The main sponsor of the event is Banfoandes. The 2008 edition was contested over 10 stages. From 1990 to 2004 it was reserved to amateurs; since 2005 it is rated 2.2 on the UCI America Tour.-Winners:-References:*...
, Venezuelan National Road Race ChampionshipsVenezuelan National Road Race ChampionshipsThe Venezuelan National Road Cycling Championships are held annually, and are governed by the Venezuelan Cycling Federation .-Individual Road Race:-Individual Time Trial:-Individual Road Race:...
, 1977 UCI Road World Championships1977 UCI Road World ChampionshipsThe 1977 UCI Road World Championships took place on 27 August 1977 in San Cristóbal, Venezuela.- Results :- Medal table :- External links :* *...
Golf
- Major events: Copa Tres DiamantesCopa Tres DiamantesThe Copa Tres Diamantes is a golf tournament on the Tour de las Americas, the highest level professional golf tour in Latin America. First held in 2006, it has always been held at the Barquisimeto Country Club in Barquisimeto, Venezuela....
and Venezuela OpenVenezuela OpenThe Venezuela Open or Abierto de Venezuela is a men's professional golf tournament on the Tour de las Américas. It has only been staged intermittently since 1957, but can boast major winners Al Geiberger, Art Wall, Jr., David Graham, Roberto de Vicenzo and Tony Jacklin as past champions...
Jhonattan Vegas
Jhonattan Vegas
Jhonattan Vegas is a Venezuelan professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.Vegas was born in Maturín, Venezuela. He played college golf at the University of Texas....
is Venezuela's most famous golfer, he was born in Maturin
Maturin
Maturin may refer to* The city of Maturín in Venezuela* The fictional character Stephen Maturin from Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin books.* The fictional character Maturin, one of the guardians of the beams, from Stephen King's The Dark Tower , and It .* The author Charles Robert Maturin .* The...
, 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...
. He played college golf at the University of Texas.
Vegas turned professional in 2008 and started playing the Nationwide tour in 2009.
Vegas represented Venezuela in the 2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup
2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup
The 2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup took place from November 26 to November 29 at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China. It was the 55th World Cup. 28 countries competed as two player teams...
with Alfredo Adrian. They finished tied for twelfth place. Vegas won his first Nationwide Tour event in 2010 at the Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open
Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open
The Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open is a golf tournament on the Nationwide Tour. It is played annually at the Crestview Country Club in Wichita, Kansas, U.S...
. 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 the Bob Hope Classic in La Quinta, California
La Quinta, California
La Quinta is a resort city in Riverside County, California, USA, specifically in the Coachella Valley between Indian Wells and Indio. The population was 37,467 at the 2010 census, up from 23,694 at the 2000 census. The Robb Report credits La Quinta as the nation's leading golf destination...
, and a week later finished tied for third in the Farmers Insurance Open at the Torrey Pines Golf Course
Torrey Pines Golf Course
Torrey Pines Golf Course is a municipal public golf course owned by the city of San Diego, California. It sits on the coastal cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the community of La Jolla south of Torrey Pines State Reserve. It has two famous golf courses, the North Course and the South Course....
, a municipal public golf course in San Diego.
The sport has come under criticism from, and courses have been closed by, President Hugo Chavez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
. "Several years ago, Chávez closed three courses in the Vegas family’s home state, Monagas
Monagas
Monagas State is one of the 23 states of Venezuela.Monagas State covers a total surface area of 28,900 km² and, in June 30, 2010, had an estimated population of 908,626....
. 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."
The Caracas Country Club, associated with the United States and the oil industry and designed in the 1920s by the Olmsted Brothers
Olmsted Brothers
The Olmsted Brothers company was an influential landscape design firm in the United States, formed in 1898 by stepbrothers John Charles Olmsted and Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. .-History:...
, 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 and land-use reasons for change.
Swimming
SwimmingSwimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
is a growing sport in Venezuela, but there are lots of Venezuelan swimmers who compete internationally.
- Crox AcunaCrox AcuñaCrox Acuña is an Olympic and national record-holding swimmer from Venezuela.He swam for Venezuela at the:*2006 South American Games*2006 Central American & Caribbean Games*2007 World Championships...
- Patricia MaldonadoPatricia MaldonadoPatricia Maldonado is an Argentine-Brazilian writer, who wrote scripts for famous Argentine television series such as Chiquititas, Verano del '98, Rebelde Way and Floricienta.-Television:...
- Ricardo MonasterioRicardo MonasterioRicardo Andrés Monasterio Guimaraes is a Venezuelan international swimmer who represented his native country in the 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics.Monasterio was born in Caracas, Venezuela...
- Nelson MoraNelson MoraNelson Jesús Mora Molina in Caracas, Venezuela,is a former Butterfly Swimmer from Venezuela who won the 200m Butterfly at the...
- Andreina PintoAndreina PintoAndreina Pinto is an Olympic and National Record holding swimmer from Venezuela. She swam for Venezuela at the 2008 Olympics.She also swam at the:*2007 World Championships*2007 Pan American Games...
- Yanel PintoYanel PintoYanel Pinto is an Olympic swimmer from Venezuela. She swam for Venezuela at the 2008 Olympics.She also swam at the:*2007 World Championships*2007 Pan American Games*2008 Open Water Worlds...
- Oswaldo QuevedoOswaldo QuevedoOswaldo Jose Quevedo Boschetti is a former butterfly and freestyle swimmer from Venezuela, who won the 50m and 100m Butterfly at the 2000 South American Open Championships in Mar del Plata...
- Luis Rojas
- Francisco Sanchez
- Arlene SemecoArlene SemecoArlene Iradie Semeco Arismendi is a female freestyle swimmer from Venezuela, who represented her native country in two consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 2004. She won two gold medals at the 2007 Pan American Games. She attended the University of Alabama.-References:* *...
- Albert SubiratsAlbert SubiratsAlbert Subirats Altes is a 2-time Olympic and national record holding swimmer from Venezuela. He represented his homeland at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics...
- Rafael VidalRafael VidalRafael Antonio Vidal Castro was a Venezuelan international swimmer and sports commentator.Vidal was born in Caracas, Venezuela in 1964. At age 19, he became the first Venezuelan swimmer to win an Olympic medal in the 200-meter butterfly competition at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles,...
- Erin VolcanErin VolcánErin Nicole Volcán Smith is an international backstroke and individual medley swimmer from Venezuela. She is a former South American record holder, and current Venezuelan record holder. She swam for Venezuela at the 2008 Olympics.She swam collegiately at the USA's Auburn University...
El Juego del Garrote
El Juego del GarroteEl Juego del Garrote
El Juego del Garrote or Garrote Larense is a Venezuelan martial art that involves machete, garrote, and knife fencing....
(The Garrote Game) or Garrote Larense, is a Venezuelan martial art that involves machete
Machete
The machete is a large cleaver-like cutting tool. The blade is typically long and usually under thick. In the English language, an equivalent term is matchet, though it is less commonly known...
, garrote
Garrote
A garrote or garrote vil is a handheld weapon, most often referring to a ligature of chain, rope, scarf, wire or fishing line used to strangle someone....
, and knife fencing.
Coleo
A traditional Venezuelan sport is coleoColeo
Coleo is a traditional Venezuelan and Colombian sport, very similar to a rodeo, where a small group of llaneros on horseback pursue cattle at high speeds through a narrow pathway in order to drop or tumble them....
. Very similar to a rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
, it involves a small group of llanero
Llanero
A llanero is a Venezuelan or Colombian herder. The name is taken from the Llanos grasslands occupying western Venezuela and eastern Colombia. The Llanero were originally part Spanish and Indian and have a strong culture including a distinctive form of music.During the wars of independence,...
s (cowboys) on horseback pursuing cattle at high speeds through a narrow pathway (called a manga de coleo) in order to drop or tumble them. Coleos are usually presented as a side attraction to a larger event, such as a religious festival. They are very popular in Venezuela in the plains region (llanos
Llanos
The Llanos is a vast tropical grassland plain situated to the east of the Andes in Colombia and Venezuela, in northwestern South America. It is an ecoregion of the Flooded grasslands and savannas Biome....
).
See also
- Venezuela national baseball teamVenezuela national baseball teamThe Venezuela national baseball team is the national team of Venezuela. They are currently ranked seventh in the world by the International Baseball Federation.-World Baseball Classic:...
- Venezuela national football teamVenezuela national football teamThe Venezuela national football team is the national football team of Venezuela and is controlled by the Federación Venezolana de Fútbol. It is nicknamed La Vinotinto , because of the traditional burgundy color of their shirts....
- Venezuela national basketball teamVenezuela national basketball teamThe Venezuela men's national basketball team represents the Venezuela Basketball Federation in international competitions such as the International Basketball Federation , the International Olympic Committee , the World Championship, the South American Basketball Championship, the Pan American...
- Venezuela national rugby union teamVenezuela national rugby union teamVenezuela is a third tier rugby playing nation. They joined the IRB in 1998. They entered the Rugby World Cup qualification matches for Australia 2003 and France 2007, but were twice eliminated by Brazil- Coaches :* Rex Lawrence* Carlos de Pascual...