MANAGUA (Nicaragua) - Football and baseball and even boxing invade the front pages of Nicaraguan newspapers, but basketball has its place and is practiced all year round, with talents in the country and projections for the future of the national teams of Nicaraguan basketball, and this is the middle of the year in which the hoop lovers will once again enjoy professional basketball, with the start of the Superior Basketball League (LSB), which will begin its second season on 27 of July.

The Nicaraguan Basketball Federation (FENIBAL) supports and gives endorsement to the clubs and players of the LSB, because who is crowned in this Superior League is the one who will represent the country in the Central American Club Championship (COCABA), which last year won Nicaragua with the Real Estelí team and thus won the ticket to play the League of the Americas, for the third time in its history.

FENIBAL faces this year with many projects. The hobby of basketball is very strong, eighty percent of basketball is played in parks, but in recent years investment has been made in the municipalities by the government to roof basketball courts. Even though the king of sports is baseball, basketball has been one of the fastest-growing sports in the country.

The start of the local competition was announced on its official website and will be hosted by the Polideportivo Alexis Argüello. The sports authorities of the Mayor's Office of Managua, organizers of the League, indicated that the confirmed teams are: Jass, Brumas de Jinotega, Caribbean Coast, Lions of the Mayor and Estelí, as well as Indigenous of Matagalpa CB, formerly called Toros del Norte.

In the first edition of this Superior Basketball League, Real Estelí was champion after defeating Jinotega in the final. Subsequently, the North represented Nicaragua in the COCABA - Managua 2018, which they won and allowed them to qualify for the Liga de las Americas in Mexico, led by the Puerto Rican coach, Wilo Colón, where they could not get past the group stage.

Real Estelí is the defending champion, after last year, in his debut, he was crowned champion of the LSB and also got the title of champion in the Championship of Clubs of Central America, organized COCABA, for the first time in Nicaragua.

These championships won by Real Estelí earned him the chance to represent the country in the League of the Americas in Mexico, an event in which Leones of the Mayor of Managua and Toros del Norte also competed.

As in the first season of the LSB, where three foreigners were allowed, and games were played during the days of Friday, Saturday and Sunday, also in the second edition will be played under the same format.

15 years ago, basketball was among the last places in Central America, but it has been developed and today it is located in a major category only behind Panama.

 "In the second semester of the year, the Superior Basketball League will be developed, where the best players will play in 6 reinforced teams each with 3 foreign players," said Ángel Mallona, ​​head coach of the Nicaraguan men's team at FIBA.basketball.com. .

After obtaining the Silver Medal in the XI Central American Sports Games of 2017, it was possible to affirm that Nicaragua has one of the best selections in Central America. In addition, two gold medals have been obtained in the youth category of 15 to 17 years, in Central American tournaments.

"Currently the product of decentralized management, tournaments are held in different categories at the collegiate, municipal, departmental and national levels. Every year more prospects with more physical-technical potential are emerging, which requires the central authorities of special programs that accompany from the mini-basketball, and through the different sensitive stages of the athlete's growth to maximize their sport development ", analyzed the Nicaraguan coach, who also emphasizes that "only in this way will we be able to achieve the great challenge for the 2020-2030 decade of taking Nicaraguan basketball to participate in world-class competitions".

FIBA