User:Christhoforos/Costa Rica National Sport Games

The National Sports Games (Spanish: Juegos Deportivos Nacionales, JDN) is the main national multi-sport event in which athletes from Costa Rica participate. The competition is held between athletes from the different cantons of the country, every year, in a variety of disciplines. The Costa Rican Institute of Sports and Recreation (ICODER) is the government body in charge of conducting and supervising the competition.

The competition is carried out in the cantons of the country through the Cantonal Sports and Recreation Committees (CCDR), with the technical support of national federations and sports associations accredited by their respective international federations. As the institution responsible for the organization and coordination of the competition, it is the task of ICODER to make the official announcement of each edition and designate the host canton (or cantons). It also determines the sports program for the Games, which consists of the sports to be played at each stage of the competition. More than 5.000 athletes compete annually in 23 sports, representing more than 80 delegations from all provinces of the country. Athletes who finish first, second, and third in each event receive gold, silver, and bronze medals, respectively.

Since its first edition in 1976, the National Sports Games has established itself as the main mean for the practice of competitive sports in various disciplines in Costa Rica.