Puerto Rico Dethrones Colombia for Men's Water Polo Gold at Central American Games

Puerto Rico's men's water polo team secured the gold medal, triumphing over Colombia with a 16-12 victory in the final match of the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games. The win marks a significant achievement for Puerto Rican sports, claiming the first gold medal awarded in team sports at the event.

The highly anticipated duel pitted two undefeated squads against each other at the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center's aquatic complex. Puerto Rico, coached by American Bret Latho, faced a resilient Colombian team led by technical director Ricardo Canal. The match was closely contested initially, with Colombia holding a slight early lead before Puerto Rico rallied to end the first period tied 4-4.

Puerto Rico established dominance in the second quarter, scoring three consecutive goals to build a substantial lead. Despite Colombia's efforts to narrow the gap, Puerto Rico extended their advantage to 10-6 by halftime. The third quarter saw Puerto Rico further solidify their lead, pushing it to 13-9 with another series of goals, effectively setting the stage for their eventual victory.

Timothy Kerr was instrumental in Puerto Rico's success, netting four goals. Other significant contributors included Ian Solano, Diego Zayas, and Fabio Mujica, each scoring two goals. For Colombia, Juan Zuluaga emerged as their top scorer with six goals, supported by contributions from Juan Vallejo, Juan Hernández, Santiago Cuervo, Jean López, and Simón Buitrago.