HISTORY OF BASKETBALL IN PERU: MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS - HISTORY - 2024

The history of basketball in Peru begins in 1926, when the Peruvian Basketball Federation was created. Currently this organization is in charge of organizing the league in the country, in which its 24 affiliates compete.

Likewise, she is responsible for the National Team, in which the best Peruvian players participate in international competitions.

This sport is known as basketball or basketball in many Spanish-speaking countries. This last word is the literal way of pronouncing the term in English that gives its name to the activity.

In the same way, it is interesting to see how, depending on the area, the place where the ball must be inserted to obtain the points is called a basket or basketball.

History of basketball in Peru

Origin of this sport

Although some historians point out that there are remote ancestors of basketball that were practiced in Mesoamerica during pre-colonial times, the truth is that this sport was born, as we know it today, in the United States.

There, in the late 19th century, a professor named James Naismith devised a sport that could be practiced indoors. Winters in Massachusetts were very harsh, so it was necessary to find an alternative for the kids to exercise.

The success of the invention caused Naismith to refine the rules and the advance was unstoppable. As early as 1928 in Amsterdam, basketball entered the Olympic Games as an exhibition sport. In 1936, it was considered an Olympic sport in its own right.

First steps of basketball in Peru

Just a few years after it became popular in the United States, basketball arrived in Peru. At the beginning, at the level of national teams, when the Peruvian Basketball Association was founded in 1926, associated with FIBA.

His early years can be considered very good. Peru participates and wins the South American Championship held in 1938. In addition, it obtains 2 Silver medals in 1941 and 1963; and 4 Bronze Medals in 1943, 1966, 1968 and 1973

On the other hand, his most important results have been, apart from those championships, the classification to participate in 3 Olympic Games.

Likewise, he managed to play 4 World Championships, although he is somewhat behind the Latin American powers: Argentina, Brazil or Puerto Rico.

Basketball League in Peru

At present, according to data from the Peruvian Basketball Association, there are 33 active leagues in the country, between men and women.

It also competes in the wheelchair modality, which has its most important event in the world at the Paralympic Games.

The Federation has launched the so-called Height Plan to attract young people who have certain physical requirements in order to promote this sport.

Ricardo Duarte, the benchmark of basketball in Peru

If there is an important character in Peruvian basketball, it is Ricardo Duarte. Born in Jauja in 1940, he was an active athlete for 25 years, being the most recognized Peruvian player.

His performances in various South American tournaments and at the Tokyo Olympics (where he was the top scorer) in 1964, made him worthy of being on the FIBA ​​list of the 50 best players of the 1970s.

References

1. From Peru.com. Basketball or Basketball. Obtained from deperu.com
2. Peruvian Basketball Sports Federation. Height Plan Project. Retrieved from fdpb.org
3. Basketball Reference. 1964 Peru Men's Olympic Basketball. Retrieved from basketball-reference.com
4. Up Closed. Ricardo Duarte. Retrieved from upclosed.com
5. The Basketball World. Basketball History: Origin of the Sport. Retrieved from thebasketballworld.com