Sport in Chile that have been popular throughout the country. The country has some experience as host of major global sporting events such as the 1959 Basketball World Cup. The first sport played in Chile was "palín" (similar to hockey), first practiced by the Mapuche before the discovery and conquest of the country. The game was later called "Chueca" by the Spanish conquerors. Years later Europeans introduced other sports unknown in this country. Valparaíso is Chile's main port, and due to the emerging nitrate industry in the north, it became a crossroads for ships coming from Europe, bringing equipment and personnel for newspapers,
Sport in Chile female), 1981 (male), and 2007 (male and female). Chile has qualified just once each in male and female for the World Volleyball Championships, both in 1982 — the 1982 World Women's Volleyball Championship in Peru and the 1982 Men's Volleyball Championship in Argentina. Tennis is Chile's most successful sport. Its national team won the World Team Cup clay tournament two times (2003 & 2004), and played the Davis Cup final against Italy in 1976. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, the country captured gold and bronze in men's singles and gold in men's doubles. Marcelo Ríos became the first Latin American