Juan Pablo Montoya, Nairo Quintana, Mariana Pajón and Edgar Rentería are just a few notable athletes that Colombia has given the world. The variety of sports played in Colombia, including the original Colombian game of tejo, together with the success achieved by its athletes on the world stage is quite remarkable. Part of this success is due to the support given to sports officially through the government institute Instituto Colombiano del Deporte (the Colombian Sports Institute) which is a part of the Ministry of Culture.Tejo (pronounced teh-ho) is a popular game similar to horseshoes which involves throwing a metal disk into a pipe 60 feet away. The curious thing is that the pipe has surrounding it little firecrackers that go off when the disk makes contact. This explosion signals what points will be awarded. For the visitor to Colombia finding a game of Tejo isn’t hard and joining in is often encouraged. Like many other countries, soccer is the principal sport played by over 3 million people in organized leagues and teams. Players that make it to professional level will play in the national league or, surprisingly, the MLS in the United States which has been a very important magnet for Colombian soccer talent. To a lesser degree, some players like Radamel Falcao have gone to play in the European leagues. Other sports like cycling, baseball, golf, tennis, and boxing have a very important place in Colombia’s sports scene. Smaller sports like roller skating (especially speed roller skating), martial arts and bowling have also seen important contributions from Colombian athletes in the last 20 years.
The variety and contrasts that can be found in Colombia can also apply to its sports. While soccer is the most important sport in Colombia, there are a number of other sports that capture the attention and admiration not only of their fellow countrymen but of admirers from around the world.
© 1989 - 2022 Ideal Education Group S.L. All Rights Reserved Privacy Policy
Home > Sport > World > Country > Colombia
Colombia is a typical South American country when it comes to sports. Their national sport is called Tejo which is basically a team sport that includes launching projectiles to a target but they have a lot of love for football.
In the 2001 Copa América tournament, Colombia set a record of not just being undefeated but not conceding any goal and winning each and every match. Roller skates are also quite big in Colombia and their national team is the team to beat in the World Roller Speed Skating Championships. Baseball is another game where Colombians are known for with names like Edgar Renteria and Orlando Renteria. Their amateur team was the world champions in 1947 and 1965.
Colombians are also quite good at boxing, shooting sports, taekwondo, baseball, wrestling, cycyling, bowling, judo, athletics, weightlifting as well as motorsports. One of their biggest name in motorsport is Juan Pablo Montoya who won 7 Formula One races.
Baseball is the most played sport in the Atlantic coast, specially in Cartagena and Barranquilla where a professional league is played annually. There have also been some Colombian players in the MLB.
As far as the Olympics are concerned, Colombia have been sending athletes since 1932, missing only the 1952 Summer Games. They also have joined the Winter Olympic Games in 2010 which is quite unique considering that Colombia is a tropical country. The first gold won by Colombia was by Maria Isabel Urrutia in weightlifting (75 kg) at Sydney 2000. In the 2016 Rio Games, they had their best performance ever with 3 gold medals.
Below are details of sports, sporting events and sports people related to Colombia.
Popular sports of Colombia
- Football (Soccer), boxing, baseball, shooting sports, taekwondo, wrestling, bowling, judo, athletics, cycling, weightlifting, motorsports
Traditional or regional sports
- Tejo — a Colombian sport in which metal discs are thrown 20m to a target which explodes when hit.
Colombia's Sporting Success
- In the 2001 Copa América tournament, Colombia set a record of not just being undefeated but not conceding any goal and winning each and every match.
Athletes from Colombia
- Juan Pablo Montoya (Formula 1)
- Radamel Falcao (football)
- James Rodríguez (football)
- Catherine Ibargüen (track & field - jumps)
- Nairo Quintana (cycling)
- Rigoberto Uran (cycling)
- Mariana Pajón (BMX)
Colombia Sports trivia
- Colombia's first Olympic gold medal was won by Maria Isabel Urrutia in weightlifting (75 kg) at Sydney, Australia in 2000.
- Colombia takes part in the Bolivarian Games, a multi-sport competition involving athletes from Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.
- In 2019 Egan Bernal became the first Colombian winner of the Tour de France.
Colombia at major events
Past sporting events hosted in Colombia
- 1975 World Swimming Championships Cali
- 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games, Barranquilla
Upcoming sporting events in Colombia
Annual sporting events held in Colombia
Sporting Facilities in Colombia
- Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez
- Estadio Deportivo Cali
- Édgar Rentería Stadium, Barranquilla
Is there something missing? If you know of something that should be listed here, please let me know.
- Countries list
- World of Sport Home
Home>Sports>Sports By Country
Colombia is a country rich in tradition, and many of the sports played in the region have some trace back to indigenous culture. Many disciplines of fighting are popular in the country, such as boxing, taekwondo, and judo. Colombians also enjoy many of the world’s most popular sports, such as basketball, baseball, and soccer. On an international scale, many Colombian athletes have enjoyed great success, from World Championships to gold medals at the Olympics. Below are the most popular sports found in Colombia.
Most Popular Sports in Colombia List
- Basketball
- Baseball
- Boxing
- Cycling
- Motorsports
- Roller Skating
- Soccer
- Tejo
What is the most popular sport in Colombia?
The most popular sport in Colombia is soccer. Like in many other Latin countries, soccer represents a culture and way of life in Colombia. When the national team is playing, the entire day is devoted to cheering them on. Many employers will even allow their workers to leave early to catch the start of the game, and a win leads to a huge celebration. According to FIFA, Colombia has over three million active soccer players.
What is the most-watched sporting event in Colombia?
The most-watched sporting event in Colombia is any game the national soccer team plays in. The national team has tens of millions of supporters, and fans from all over the country celebrate in the biggest way when their team wins. In 2018, the World Cup match between Colombia and Poland had an average of 7.9 million viewers, one of the most-watched World Cup matches of the year.
What is the national sport of Colombia?
The national sport of Colombia is tejo. Though soccer may be the most popular, tejo is the sport most steeped in culture for Colombians. The sport is also referred to as turmequé, which has been played in Colombia for nearly 500 years. Tejo is one of the most unique sports in the world. It involves throwing weighted steel discs (known as tejos) towards a metal ring (called a bocin) that is full of stuffed gunpowder objects called mechas. These mechas explode on impact, providing a flair to the game that keeps players focused on the target.
There are several sports practiced in Colombia, some for which we have been renowned in global competitions. The most popular sports in the country are soccer, athletics, baseball, skating, and cycling. Our national sport is “Tejo”, which derived from an indigenous practice called Turmequé.
Currently, Colombia has two Olympic gold medals, 6 silver medals and 11 bronze medals. Our delegation had the second most significant participation of South American countries at the Olympic games in London 2012. We have also been awarded as the Skating World Champion over the past 10 world competitions.
Coldeportes is the administrative department in charge of developing, coordinating and monitoring sports, recreation and physical activities that aim to improve the life quality of Colombian society.
Click here for detailed information about sports in Colombia.