The U.S. influence in Panama can be seen in the country’s sports. Baseball is the National Sport of Panama and has regional teams and a national team that represents them in international events. Many Panamanians have played on professional teams in the United States, including Rod Carew, who was one of the game’s greatest hitters, and Mariano Rivera, who is widely considered the best closer of all time.

From the List of Major League Baseball players from Panama it can be seen that no other Central American nation has had as many Major Leaguers as Panama. At least 140 Panamanian players have played professional baseball in the United States.

Among Panama’s more prominent boxers are Roberto Durán, who won world titles in four weight classes, and Eusebio Pedroza, who was the featherweight champion for more than seven years. Four Panamanians are on the List of current world boxing champions: Guillermo Jones, Celestino Caballero, Anselmo Moreno, and Luis Concepción.

Basketball is popular in Panama, there are regional teams as well as a squad that competes internationally. Among Panama’s most prominent basketball players are Rolando Blackman (four-time NBA All-Star) and Harlem Globetrotters’ star Kevin Daley. Long jumper Irving Saladino became the first Panamanian Olympic champion in 2008.

Other popular sports include volleyball, football, golf, and tennis. A long-distance hiking trail called the TransPanama Trail is being built from Colombia to Costa Rica.