SANTO DOMINGO (Dominican Republic) – When the Central American and Caribbean Games return to Santo Domingo on July 24, athletes from across the region will come together to celebrate more than just another edition of this historic event.
They will celebrate 100 years of a competition that has brought nations together through sport, and with it, 100 years of basketball as one of the Games' most enduring traditions. Basketball has been present since the very first edition in Mexico City in 1926 and remains one of the defining features of the event today.
Looking back, it is difficult to imagine how much the sport, and the Games themselves, have evolved.
The inaugural basketball tournament featured just two countries: Mexico and Cuba. Across three games, the neighboring nations played for the first gold medal in Central American and Caribbean Games history, with Mexico emerging victorious. What may have seemed like a modest competition at the time would become the starting point of a remarkable journey.
The significance of that moment becomes even more striking when placed in its historical context.
The tournament took place ten years before basketball made its Olympic debut in Berlin in 1936, and eight years before the creation of FIBA. Long before the sport had established a global footprint, the Central American and Caribbean Games were already providing international playing opportunities for athletes from the region.
1935 marked another historic milestone with the introduction of women's basketball, offering female athletes an international platform long before the women's game gained global recognition. Mexico won the tournament, which came decades before the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup and the Olympic debut of women's basketball.
Throughout the following decades, the Games became far more than a regional competition. They became a proving ground.
The basketball courts of the Central American and Caribbean Games helped athletes gain valuable international experience and prepared many for success on the world's biggest stages. Mexico's historic bronze medal at the 1936 Olympic Games remains one of the most striking examples.
The Games have also provided a stage for countless unforgettable performances.
From Puerto Rico's dominance across multiple decades to Cuba's success in the women's competition, generations of players have built legacies that extend far beyond medals. Today, Puerto Rico leads the men's all-time medal standings, while Cuba has established itself as one of the most successful nations in women's basketball history at the Games.
Behind these achievements are stories of dedication, national pride and opportunity.
For many athletes, participating in the Central American and Caribbean Games represented a first chance to wear their country's colours on an international stage. For others, it served as a stepping stone towards World Cups, Olympic Games and professional careers. For all of them, it created memories that remain part of the rich sporting heritage of the region.
One hundred years after the first jump ball was tossed in Mexico City, basketball continues to unite communities across Central America and the Caribbean.
As the Games celebrate their centenary in Santo Domingo, they also celebrate the players, coaches, officials and pioneers who transformed a small tournament between two nations into one of basketball's most enduring regional traditions.
And as a new generation prepares to take the court, the next chapter of this remarkable story is ready to be written.
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About the FIBA Foundation
The FIBA Foundation is the social and legacy arm of FIBA that addresses the role of sports particularly basketball in society, preserving and promoting basketball’s values and its cultural heritage.
FIBA’s cultural heritage is the heart of the FIBA Foundation’s cultural and historical activities. It is one of the driving forces behind the promotion and dissemination of FIBA’s values.