Preservation and Promotion of an Identity Sports Practice

The Asociación Centroamericana del Caribe y de Norteamérica del Deporte Ancestral de la Pelota Maya

Abstract

The work carried out by the Asociación Centroamericana del Caribe y de Norteamérica del Deporte Ancestral de la Pelota Maya, in the preservation, conservation, and dissemination of this sport is worthy of mention due to the duty assumed by its leaders to rescue, value, preserve, and disseminate the traditions, customs, and knowledge of their ancestors. In a region characterized by poor countries where migration and loss of identity directly influence the lack of roots and, therefore, the abandonment of collective values, this association does not neglect its origins, history, and heritage. The objective of this article is to study the background and historical evolution of the aforementioned association. Emphasis will be placed on its historical trajectory and the political, economic, and cultural challenges it has faced. This goal will be achieved by obtaining the necessary information from the minutes and an interview given by José de Jesús Manrique Esquivel on March 4, 2025.