Gimnasio Nacional

Gimnasio Nacional
Gimnasio de La Sabana
Map
Full nameGimnasio Nacional Eddy Cortés
LocationSan José San José, Costa Rica
Coordinates9°55′59″N 84°5′55″W / 9.93306°N 84.09861°W / 9.93306; -84.09861
Capacity4,000
Construction
Opened19 February 1960 (1960-02-19)
Renovated2012, 2015

The Eddy Cortés National Gymnasium (Spanish: Gimnasio Nacional Eddy Cortés), better known as National Gymnasium (Spanish: Gimnasio Nacional), is a sports arena located in La Sabana Metropolitan Park, San José, Costa Rica. Its capacity is over 4,000.

History

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The gymnasium was opened on 19 February 1960. President Mario Echandi Jiménez was present at the inauguration. The arena was originally used for bullfights, and it originally did not have a roof. After being used for decades, the building fell into disrepair, as teams complained about the leaking roof, small size of the gymnasium, and worn out electrical system.[1] Soon after, the roof was changed in 2012 and the ventilation system, electrical wiring and electronic marker control console were fixed in 2015.[2]

Today, the structure is mostly used for basketball games, gymnastics competitions, graduation ceremonies, and other events.

Concerts

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Despite being used mostly as a sporting venue, Gimnasio Nacional is occasionally used for concerts. Santana's concert here on 29 September 1973 holds the distinction of the first rock concert held in Costa Rica.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "El Gimnasio Nacional es un anciano que ya no aguanta tanta carga". La Nación. 2018-03-19. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  2. ^ "Gimnasio Nacional, una joya que se rejuvenece". Crhoy.com. 2017-05-05. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  3. ^ "Search for setlists: costa rica | setlist.fm". Setlist.fm. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  4. ^ "Gimnasio Nacional, San José, Costa Rica Concert Setlists | setlist.fm". Setlist.fm. Retrieved 2019-07-17.