Sports in Ecuador

I'd say "ECUA-VOLLEY" is the most popular and unusual sport played in Ecuador.
It differs from the regular volleyball as follows:
- net is placed at a height of 2,80 mts.
- each team consists of three players, they do not "rotate".
- it is played with a regular soccer ball, thus players are allowed to use their palms to soften the play.
It is played everywhere on a daily basis, all you need is "amigos" willing to participate. Tournaments are organized on a constant basis at all levels.
This sport is carried abroad to other countries where Ecuadorians settle. If you see a higher net with teams of three playing, be confident 100% they are from Ecuador.

Second most influent sport is Soccer.

Other sports such as: Tennis, Base-ball, bycicling, swimming, running are also popular.

Accessibility (courts) are available depending on location.

MM

marcomueses wrote:

"ECUA-VOLLEY" is the most popular and unusual sport played in Ecuador.....

Second most influent sport is Soccer.

Marco's town, Tonsupa, may be mad for Ecua-Volley.

But here in Quito -- and I had assumed in most of Ecuador -- soccer, known here as fútbol, is the rage.  Personally, I used to play basketball three or four times a week at Parque la Carolina in Quito .. and there was always a soccer game being played on he adjoining field.

All the active TV's at the Marquez nightclub in North Quito last night were tuned to an Olympics channel showing the EC Valley fútbol team facing off against a Colombian team .. and the place came alive with cheering as Ecuador scored the first goal, then with another outburst when Ecuador just missed a consecutive goal.

For years, I've noticed the TV's around town tuned to soccer games with great frequency and folks around Quito are wearing the national-team colors leading up to big games.  Some Ecuadorians wear team jerseys to work on game days.  In the sport-viewing-center of Ecuador, Quito's Mariscal sector, you can hear cheering burst out from various directions when the TV's show an Ecuador goal being scored during a televised game.  And they're all televised.

I don't recall anything of the sort regarding Ecua-Volley..  Soccer, not Ecua-Volley, is the number-one sport here in the capital.

cccmedia in Quito

The first time I saw people playing Ecuavolley I thought they were using a soccer ball and thought perhaps they were improvising but although it's a soccer ball I believe it's a much smaller version that is also widely used with footvolley. I've seen them at KAO (sports store chain). I also think that soccer is the main sport here, at least in Quito. Big games transform the capital into a festive scene, weekdays become like weekends. The Olympic stadium is near my home and when there's a big game there it's literally a carnival atmosphere with fireworks, vendors and street acts. We like it and go with the flow, and it's nice to see, but honestly they take football a little bit too seriously. And if there's a big game on a Sunday, good luck with finding a taxi, especially in my neighborhood, I learned that the hard way when I went shopping at Megamaxi, usually they'd be a line of taxis outside including gypsy cabs, not when there's a big match and a long line forms of frustrated passengers.

I'm not sure about sport's clubs but Carolina Park has facilities for several sports, there are currently 8 basketball courts, but many people just use half court so that's total of 16. There's also 16 football/soccer pitches, 18 volleyball (ecuavolley) courts, several tennis courts, a futsal arena and renovated dirtbike ramps. There are also open areas to play frisbee, or whatever you want that requires a lot space.

Personally I play all kinds of sports with the family from basketball to frisbee, but my favorite is cycling on my mountain bike.

100% correct! , Soccer definetely will be considered the #1  sport in Ecuador, however the most "unusual" in the country will be Ecuavolley.
FYI : it is played with a regular #5 soccer ball.

marcomueses wrote:

however the most "unusual" in the country will be Ecuavolley.
FYI : it is played with a regular #5 soccer ball.

Good info Marco about the size of the soccer ball, and with that fact it definitely makes ecuavolley "unusual".

Today the entire centro-north Quito was a sea of yellow (jerseys) as Ecuador played Brazil in the capital in a world cup qualifier. Ecuadorians are truly mad about football, I'm happy that the partying despite the loss is subsiding, I can't imagine how it would have been if Ecuador won, hopefully one day.

Huge game today. Ecuador vs Venezuela, Circus, saddely I was a part of it.
Football is ridicousy huge!

Guys, Quito was absolutely amazing yesterday. Everyone was in a good mood, even the grouchy taxi drivers were jovial. Coming back home from Plaza Foch I simply pointed at the meter and the driver turned it on without any complaints. Sometimes at night some taxis in La Mariscal will demand X amount of money. Not that I adhere unless it´s very late and there´s no choice.

Anyway back to the topic at hand. These people celebrated crazily, and I´m not sure how effective they were today at work. The scene actually started quite early with vendors selling Ecuador´s home jerseys, by noon the grills were on, afterwards people started to flood Naciones Unidades heading towards the stadium. After the second goal it was madness, restaurants and pubs were full, and really any place that had a big screen TV probably did very well in sales.

I have no idea when the next match will be but if the game is played in Quito then it will probably be incredible provided Ecuador wins.