Traditional Mexican Clothing

Adhemar Ferreira da Silva became the second sportspeople in Brazil to win a gold medal in the Olympic Games when he won the jump triple at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki (Finland).

Rossana De Los Rios is a famous Paraguayan tennis player. She was junior world champion in 1992. Rossana is married to Gustavo Alfredo Neffa, who was a soccer football player. She once said, " I could have come very far in tennis. In 1992 I won the Junior Roland Garros but I made decisions and I am happy with my life. [Gustavo] Played soccer in the leagues of Italy and Argentina, with the national team and in the Olympic Games and he was good in that, but now he talks more about tennis. The times changed for the women and he helps me to be able to play calm. Now my goal is to return to the top 100. I am well, but for two years I had knee and wrist injuries and I had to come back from that. Perhaps I will retire in a few years and then I would like to help so that the Paraguayan girls are developed and are able to have a future, but by then if I am in the top 30 maybe I will defer that project". This sportswoman was born on September 16, 1975 in Asuncion, the capital city of Paraguay. Currently, she resides in the United States.

Francisco Cabañas became to first Mexican boxer to win an Olympic medal. He won a silver medal at the Los Angeles Games in 1932 .

Claudia Poll Ahrens (Costa Rica) became only the first Latin American female swimmer in the history of the Olympic Games to win two individual medals at one Games ( Sydney'2000 ). She is the greatest Central American athlete of all time...

Luis Brunetto won the silver medal in the triple jump at the 1924 Paris Games. Argentina's Brunetto became the first sportsperson to win an Olympic medal for his country.

The Brazilian men's volleyball team won the World Cup in 2007. The champions were Rezende Bruno, Marcelo Elgarten, André Heller, Samuel Fuchs, Gilberto Godoy Filho, Murilo Andres, André Luiz da Silva Nascimento, Sergio Dutra Santos, Anderson Rodrigues, Gustavo Endres, Rodrigo Santana, Dante Guimaraes Amaral.

Xavier Moreno and Jefferson Perez won gold medals at the Rio Pan American Games in 2007. The runners are sporting heroes in Ecuador now...

Cali (Colombia) hosted the FIBA Basketball Women's World Cup in 1975. Final standings: 1.USSR / Soviet Union ( currently Russia ), 2.Japan, 3.Czechoslovakia ( currently Czech Republic / Slovak Republic ), 4.Italy, 5.South Korea, 6. Mexico, 7.Colombia, 8. United States, 9. Hungary, 10.Australia, 11.Canada, 12.Brazil, 13.Senegal.

The most popular sports in Mexico are soccer, wrestling, basketball, baseball, athletics, basque pelote, underwater sports, tennis, martial arts, boxing, cycling and equestrian.

Jeanette Campbell ( Argentina / swimmer ) was the first Latin American female athlete who won the Olympic medal. She won the silver medal in the 100m freestyle at the 1936 Berlin Games.

Brazil sent 10 athletes to the 2006 Winter Games in Turin ( Italy ). The Brazilian delegation had athletes competing in 4 sports: alpine skiing, bobsleigh, cross country skiing and snowboarding.

Paraguay has had many famous athletes. Who they are: Jose Luis Chilavert ( soccer / one of the best goalkeepers in the 1990s ), Victor Manuel Pecci ( tennis ), Nery Kennedy ( track and field / South American champion ), Carlos Gamarra ( Olympic football silver medalist, 2004 ), Ramon Jimenez Gaona ( athletics / South American champion)...

Baseball is the national sport of Panama...

Francisco "Morochito" Rodriguez (boxer) is the only Venezuelan sportspeople to win an Olympic gold medal. Francisco was born on September 20, 1945 in Cumana, Venezuela (South America).

Montevideo (Uruguay) hosted the FIFA World Cup in 1930. Final standings: 1.Uruguay, 2.Argentina, 3.Yugoslavia (currently Serbia), 4.USA, 5.Chile, 6.Brazil, 7.France, 8.Paraguay, 9.Romania, 10.Peru, 11.Belgium, 12.Bolivia, 13.Mexico.

Gustavo Kuerten was one of the best tennis players in the world. He has won 28 international tournaments ( Saint Petersburg, Brazil Open, Auckland, Roland Garros, Monte Carlo, Acapulco, Rome, Hamburg, Cincinnati, Buenos Aires, Lisboa, Indianapolis...).

Fact File

Name: Gustavo Kuerten

Nickname: "Guga"

Nationality: Brazilian

Ancestry: German

Residence: Florianopolis, Santa Catarina ( Brazil )

Born : 10 / 9 / 1976

Height : 1.91m

Weight : 75 kg

Idol: Mahatma Gandhi (former human rights activist)

Favorite singer: Bob Marley

Favorite writer / author: Paulo Coehlo

Perfume: "Eternity" ( by Calvin Klein )

Best friends: Carlos Moya ( Spanish tennis player ), Nicolas Lapentti ( Ecuadorian tennis player ), Fernando Meligeni ( Brazilian player ).

Men's Tennis Association Ranking ( 1997-2000 )

2000: 1

1999: 10

1998: 20

1997: 66

The ethnic and regional diversity, as well as the socioeconomic divisions within the population make Mexico a truly culturally heterogeneous country. Among rural people, there are strong regional affinities and allegiances, often referred to as patria chica ("small homeland") that helps to perpetuate cultural diversity. The large number of extant Indian languages and customs, especially in the south, also accentuate cultural differences. In an attempt to unite the nation culturally by identifying a uniquely Mexican culture, the government has vigorously supported indigenous folk arts and crafts as well as the European-inspired classical arts. In fact, since the 1930s, indigenismo, or pride in the Indian heritage, has been a major unifying theme of the country.

Many Mexican writers and artists have received worldwide acclaim for their creativity and innovativeness. Within their work, both folk and classical tradition has been quite strong.

The country's best-known writers have gained their reputations by dealing with questions of universal significance, as did Samuel Ramos, whose philosophical speculations on man and culture in Mexico influenced post-1945 writers in several genres. The prolific critic and cultural analyst Octavio Paz is considered to be the foremost poet of Latin America. The novels of Carlos Fuentes are honored throughout the world, Gustavo Sainz is a leader in Spanish-language literature, and Juan José Arreola's fantasies are universally admired. Among dramatists, Rodolfo Usigli has been extremely influential, while Luisa Josefina Hernández and Emilio Carballido have also made significant contributions.

It would not be wrong to say that the most widely recognized Mexican art form is the mural, and the Mexican Muralist School counted among its members, the most powerful figures of the genre. The murals created by Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros, depicting aspects of the Mexican Revolution, the nation's modernization, and class struggle, have become legendary, and, among others, Rufino Tamayo and Juan Soriano have achieved distinct stature. Perhaps, the most popular of Mexico's folk artists is José Clemente Orozco, whose animated plaster-of-Paris skeleton characters are both satirical and lifelike.

Mexican popular music, especially ranchero and mariachi music, has attracted a wide following throughout the Spanish-speaking world, and Mexico City has become one of the major recording centers for the Americas. The country's motion pictures and television industries are among the largest in Latin America, producing films and programs that circulate throughout the region. Bullfighting is the country's national sport, and the Plaza México in Mexico City is one of the perfect venues for this spectacle. Soccer is still the most popular participatory sport, but baseball has attracted increasing numbers of spectators and players at both the professional and amateur level. Mexico has also produced a number of world champions in the lighter weight classes in professional boxing.