PERU INFO
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About Peru
Sports in Peru
Football / soccer
As throughout Latin America, football / soccer is the most popular sport in Peru. The major Peruvian clubs are:
La U (Universitario), Alianza Lima and Cristal in Lima, Cienciano in Cusco, the only Peruvian club to win internationals tournaments.
In 2004, Cienciano won the Copa Nissan Sudamericana (equivalent to UEFA Cup in Europe) beating Argentine team River Plate in the final and the same year won the Recopa beating the other big Argentine team Boca Juniors (Copa Libertadores winners - equivalent to European Champions League).
The Peruvian national football team competed in the FIFA World Cup four times, 1930, 1970 (quarterfinals), 1978 (quarterfinals), 1982, and won two Copa America (1939 and 1975).
The most famous footballers are:
Teófilo "Nene" Cubillas
In 2006 obtain ranking nº 48 Player of the Century, 8th scorer in World Cup history (10 goals) and best scorer of all midfielders in the world. He was elected the South American Footballer of the year in 1972, second place Pelé this year. Cubillas played in Switzerland (FC Basel), FC Porto and Miami.
Héctor Chumpitaz
The 70s were the heyday of Peruvian football with Nene Cubillas and also Héctor Chumpitaz one of the best defenses in South America.
Hugo "el Cholo" Sótil
Barcelona forward from 1973 to 1976 with Johan Cruyff.
Today the Peruvian football team has a hard time despite having talented footballers playing in prestigious European clubs:
Claudio Pizarro "Pizagol"
The "Bomber of the Andes" (Bayern Munich) the maximum foreign scorer (176 goals) and the 9th highest in Bundesliga history.
Jefferson Farfán "la Foquita"
Schalke 04 - Germany.
Juan Manuel Vargas
Genova - Italia
Paulo Guerrero
Corinthians - Brasil
Surf
It has been reported surfing for over 500 years in the Polynesia islands. However, ceramics of gthe Chimu culture (north of Peru - 100-700 AD) represent men on timbers sliding on waves.
Today, fishermen of the northern Peruvian coast "ride" small boats called "caballitos de totora" (little reed horses), riding the waves, similar to the modern sport of surfing.
Cristóbal de Col
Junior World Champion in 2012, established a Guiness World Record on the Malabrigo (also called Chicama) beach in northern Peru with 34 carvings in a wave in 2 minutes and 20 seconds. This wave is the longest left in the world that can reach 2.5 km (1.6 mi) long and a height of 1-2 meters (3-6 ft).
Sofía Mulánovich
World champion in 2004, second in 2005.
Felipe Pomar
World champion in 1965.
Tennis
Luis Horna
In 2008 won French Open men's doubles crown in Roland Garros partnering Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas and won two ATP Tour (Acapulco - Mexico 2006 and Viña del Mar - Chile 2007).
Alex Olmedo
Born in Arequipa, Olmedo won Wimbledon, Australia Open and was finalist US Open in 1959.
Olmedo also won the Davis Cup with the United States in 1958 and was ranked World nº2 in 1959.
Women's volleyball
Silver medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.
World Championships: 2nd in 1982 and 3rd in 1986
South American Championship: 12 times champion, 10 times subchampion.
Boxing
Kina Malpartida
World champion of the Super Featherweight since 2009.
Mauro Mina
known as the "Bombardier of Chincha" he was the best light heavyweights in the world in 1965.
Alberto Rossel
‘Chiquito’ Rossel is WBA Light Flyweight Champion in 2014.
Linda Lecca
WBA Super Flyweight Champion in 2014.
Other sports
Longboard (skateboard)
Piccolo Clemente - World Champion in China (2013).
Rally
Nicolás Fuchs - WRC-3 (Production World Rally Championschip) champion in 2014.
Squash
Diego Elías - World Champion Junior in Namibia (2014).
Tiro
Edwin Vásquez - Gold medal at the Summer Olympic Games in London (1948).
Nicolás Pacheco - World junior champion Olympic Field Target (2013).
Peru
