MANAGUA - The Nicaraguan Basketball Federation (FENIBAL, for its Spanish acronym) faces another year with many projects ahead. The local basketball fanbase is very strong and eighty percent of basketball is practiced in public parks. However, in recent years the government has made investments so that municipalities are able to fund roofs for basketball courts. Although baseball reigns in Nicaragua, basketball has been one of the sports with the largest growth rate.

Fifteen years ago, Nicaraguan basketball was ranked in the last spots for Central America, but it has continued to thrive and today it is placed in a better light, just behind Panama.

Currently, the national team doesn’t have any activity. Under the new qualifying format to the FIBA Basketball World Cup in China, Nicaragua lost their chance of going to the world stage. The only international appearance they’ll have this year will be against Real Estelí at Liga de las Américas. They’ll be counting on Puerto Rican reinforcement and former NBA player, 33-year-old Guillermo Díaz, and will play in Group B against Capitanes (Mexico), Soles de Mexicali (Mexico) and Franca (Brazil) from January 25 to the 27.

“During the first half of 2019 we're preparing for the national championship that starts on February 16, with 20 teams. There are only national players in this tournament. The Superior Basketball League (LSB, for its Spanish acronym) will take place in the second half, where the best players will play in six reinforced teams with three foreign players each,” said the Nicaraguan men’s national team coach, Ángel Mallona.

“The project ahead for the Federation is to organize the national basketball academy, so that we may continuously, progressively, and in a planned manner work with the best prospects in our country. We've been technically preparing our coaches by offering them seminars in different levels,” the coach added.

After achieving the silver medal in the eleventh edition of the Central American Sports Games, in 2017, it may be assured that Nicaragua has, after Panama, the best national team in Central America. Also, two gold medals have been won in the U15 and U17 categories in Central American tournaments.

“Currently, and as a result of a decentralized endeavor, there are tournaments in different categories in collegiate, municipal, state and national levels. Year after year there are more prospects with a greater physical and technical potential. This requires main authorities to create special programs that steward them since mini basketball, and that throughout the different sensitive growth stages of the athlete accompanies them to maximize their sports development,” analyzes the Nicaraguan coach, who also pointed out that “this is the only way that we’ll be able to reach the great goal for the 2020-2030 decade: to take Nicaraguan basketball to participate in world-class competitions.”

FIBA