Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sports
It's just not a weekend in Nicaragua without the crack of a baseball bat, but there really are
other sports in the country - you just have to look.
Football (soccer) is growing in popularity and is especially big in the north of the coun-
try. The National Futból League (
www.fenifut.org.ni
) has a website with schedules and
stats. Boxing is also extremely popular and Nicaragua produces some champion pugilists,
especially in the lower weight divisions.
While it is considered barbaric by many people, cockfighting is one of Nicaragua's most
popular spectator sports, especially in rural areas. Beautiful alpha roosters with knives
strapped to their feet slash each other apart in miniature bullrings while the crowd place
bets and drink copious amounts of moonshine.
Rodeos and bullfights, which take place during
fiestas patronales
(saints days), are con-
siderably less gory than their Spanish or South American counterparts as it's illegal to use
any weapons or kill the bull (although the occasional town drunk does sometimes end up
getting gouged or walloped). Even so they are pretty lowbrow affairs and there is no doubt
the bull does not enjoy the spectacle.
Many towns have pickup soccer, baseball, volleyball and basketball games, and foreign-
ers are usually more than welcome to join in. It's a fine opportunity to interact with the loc-
als without worrying about the subjunctive tenses.
