Categoría Primera A
Organising body | DIMAYOR |
---|---|
Founded | August 15, 1948 |
Country | Colombia |
Confederation | CONMEBOL |
Number of teams | 20 |
Level on pyramid | 1 |
Relegation to | Categoría Primera B |
Domestic cup(s) | Copa Colombia Superliga Colombiana |
International cup(s) | Copa Libertadores Copa Sudamericana |
Current champions | Deportivo Cali (10th title) (2021–II) |
Most championships | Atlético Nacional (16 titles) |
Top goalscorer | Sergio Galván Rey (224) |
TV partners | Win Sports |
Website | DIMAYOR |
Current: 2022 season |
The Categoría Primera A (Spanish pronunciation: [kateɣoˈɾi.a pɾiˈmeɾa ˈa]), commonly referred to as Liga BetPlay Dimayor (between 2015 and 2019 Liga Águila)[1] due to sponsorship by online betting company , is a Colombian professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's premier football tournament and sits at the top of the Colombian football league system.
A total of twenty clubs compete in the league's regular season. División Mayor del Fútbol Profesional Colombiano, better known as DIMAYOR, operates the league system of promotion and relegation for both Categoría Primera A and Categoría Primera B leagues. Since its founding in 1948, fourteen teams have been crowned as Colombian football champions. The most successful club is Atlético Nacional with 16 titles.
History[]
Before 1948 there was no professional football league in Colombia. The first clubs were formed in Barranquilla and Bogotá: Barranquilla FC, Polo Club, Escuela Militar and Bartolinos, although the game took a while to develop in popularity.[2] The 1918 Campeonato Nacional was the first tournament played between Colombian clubs, followed by the Copa Centenario Batalla de Boyacá. Independiente Medellín, founded on 15 April 1913, is the oldest club that remains as a professional club.[3] The first tournament was organised by the Colombian Football Federation and DIMAYOR in 1948. Ten teams signed up for this first tournament, paying the required fee of 1,000 pesos). Two teams each signed on from Bogotá, Cali, Manizales, and Pereira, plus one from Barranquilla.[4] 252 players were registered for that year's tournament, 182 of which were Colombians, 13 were Argentine, 8 Peruvian, 5 Uruguayan, 2 Chilean, 2 Ecuadorian, 1 Dominican, and 1 Spanish.[4]
Soon after the league's foundation, disputes between Adefútbol (the body governing amateur football in Colombia) and DIMAYOR (the organizing body behind the new national league) erupted. DIMAYOR broke away from Adefútbol, announcing that it would operate independently of FIFA rules and regulations. In response, FIFA sanctioned Colombian football, banning the national team and all its clubs from international competition. This period, which lasted from 1949 to 1954, is known as El Dorado.
Far from being a dark time in Colombian football, this was its golden age. No longer required to pay transfer fees to clubs from other nations, Colombian clubs began importing stars from all over South America and Europe. The most aggressive signer of international players was Millonarios, which won consecutive championships with stars such as Alfredo di Stéfano. Attendances boomed, and the expanding appetite for club competitions resulted in the creation of the Copa Colombia in 1950. That knockout competition was played sporadically over the next 58 years and only became an annual tournament in 2008.[5] Although the stars returned to their nations when Colombia rejoined the international fold in 1954, the era was never forgotten.[6]
In 1968 the league followed the pattern emerging in South America by replacing its year-long tournament with two shorter ones. From this point forward, Colombian clubs would compete in two tournaments a year; the Apertura from February to June and the Finalización from July to December, which became independent championships in 2002. Another league restructuring came in 1991, with the addition of second and third divisions. The third division had its 2002 edition cancelled for economic reasons, and stopped awarding promotion to the professional tiers in 2003 until it was finally dropped in 2010.
Format[]
The current format of Colombian football was adopted for the 2019 season. The top flight features 20 teams, all of which play through the Apertura and Finalización tournaments each year. Both tournaments are conducted according to an identical three-stage format.
The first stage is conducted on a single round-robin basis, with each team playing the other teams once for a total of 19 matches. The top eight teams then advance to a knockout round consisting of two groups, each team playing six times in a round-robin format. The two leaders of each group advance to the final, which is played in a home and away leg fashion.
Relegation to Categoría Primera B is determined by averaging the point totals achieved by teams over the previous three seasons. Each year, the bottom two teams drop out and are replaced by the top two from Primera B.[7]
Current teams[]
Teams for the 2022 season
Seasons by club[]
This is the complete list of the clubs that have taken part in at least one Categoría Primera A season, founded in 1948, until the 2021 season.[8][9] Teams that currently play are indicated in bold.
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Trophy[]
The same trophy has been used to commemorate the annual champion since 1948. Made of German silver, weighing roughly 5 kilos and measuring approximately 90 centimeters tall, in its upper part it has the figure of the Winged Victory of Samothrace, which has been used to represent sporting triumph with the passing of history. The original trophy is kept at the headquarters of DIMAYOR and is engraved with all the names of the champion clubs, with the champions being awarded an exact replica. Along with the competition's official trophy, the champions are also awarded an additional trophy handed over by the league's sponsor.[10]
Clubs in international competitions[]
Players[]
Appearances[]
- As of 13 March 2016[11]
Rank | Name | Years | Appearances |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Gabriel Berdugo | 1973–1981 | 773 |
2 | Alexis García | 1980–1998 | 723 |
3 | Arturo Segovia | 1963–1979 | 706 |
4 | Jorge Bermúdez | 1989–96, 2005, 2006–07 | 682 |
5 | 1962–1981 | 652 |
Top scorers[]
- As of 13 March 2016[12]
Rank | Name | Years | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Sergio Galván Rey | 1996–2011 | 224[13] |
2 | Iván Valenciano | 1988–2009 | 217 |
3 | Hugo Lóndero | 1969–1981 | 211 |
4 | 1975–1985 | 204 | |
5 | Jorge Ramírez Gallego | 1962–1975 | 201 |
6 | Omar Devanni | 1962–1975 | 198 |
7 | Víctor Aristizábal | 1990–2007 | 187 |
8 | Arnoldo Iguarán | 1977–1997 | 186 |
9 | Willington Ortiz | 1972–1988 | 184 |
10 | José Verdún | 1962–1971 | 184 |
Champions by seasons[]
The only tournament that was not awarded to a champion occurred on 1989, after the assassination of referee on October 1 in Medellín. All games, post-season games and international representation for the following year were cancelled.[14][15]
Table[]
Seasons | Champions (title count) | Runners-up | Leading goalscorer(s)[16] | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1948 | Santa Fe (1) | Junior | Alfredo Castillo (Millonarios; 31 goals) | ||
1949 | Millonarios (1) | Deportivo Cali | Pedro Cabillón (Millonarios; 42 goals) | ||
1950 | Deportes Caldas (1) | Millonarios | Casimiro Ávalos (Deportivo Pereira; 27 goals) | ||
1951 | Millonarios (2) | Boca Juniors | Alfredo Di Stéfano (Millonarios; 31 goals) | ||
1952 | Millonarios (3) | Boca Juniors | Alfredo Di Stéfano (Millonarios; 19 goals) | ||
1953 | Millonarios (4) | Atlético Quindío | Mario Garelli (Atlético Quindío; 20 goals) | ||
1954 | Atlético Nacional (1) | Atlético Quindío | Carlos Alberto Gambina (Atlético Nacional; 21 goals) | ||
1955 | Independiente Medellín (1) | Atlético Nacional | Felipe Marino (Independiente Medellín; 22 goals) | ||
1956 | Atlético Quindío (1) | Millonarios | Jaime Gutiérrez (Atlético Quindío; 21 goals) | ||
1957 | Independiente Medellín (2) | Deportes Tolima | José Vicente Grecco (Independiente Medellín; 30 goals) | ||
1958 | Santa Fe (2) | Millonarios | José Américo Montanini (Atlético Bucaramanga; 36 goals) | ||
1959 | Millonarios (5) | Independiente Medellín | Felipe Marino (Cúcuta Deportivo / Independiente Medellín; 35 goals) | ||
1960 | Santa Fe (3) | América de Cali | Walter Marcolini (Deportivo Cali; 30 goals) | ||
1961 | Millonarios (6) | Independiente Medellín | Alberto Perazzo (Santa Fe; 32 goals) | ||
1962 | Millonarios (7) | Deportivo Cali | José Omar Verdún (Cúcuta Deportivo; 36 goals) | ||
1963 | Millonarios (8) | Santa Fe | Omar Devani (Atlético Bucaramanga; 36 goals) José Omar Verdún (Cúcuta Deportivo; 36 goals) | ||
1964 | Millonarios (9) | Cúcuta Deportivo | Omar Devani (Unión Magdalena / Atlético Bucaramanga; 28 goals) | ||
1965 | Deportivo Cali (1) | Atlético Nacional | Perfecto Rodríguez (Independiente Medellín; 38 goals) | ||
1966 | Santa Fe (4) | Independiente Medellín | Omar Devani (Santa Fe; 31 goals) | ||
1967 | Deportivo Cali (2) | Millonarios | José María Ferrero (Millonarios; 38 goals) | ||
1968 | Unión Magdalena (1) | Deportivo Cali | José María Ferrero (Millonarios; 32 goals) | ||
Deportivo Cali (3) | América de Cali | Hugo Lóndero (América de Cali; 25 goals) | |||
Deportivo Cali (4) | Junior | José María Ferrero (Cúcuta Deportivo; 27 goals) Walter Sossa (Santa Fe; 27 goals) | |||
Santa Fe (5) | Atlético Nacional | Hugo Lóndero (Cúcuta Deportivo; 30 goals) Apolinar Paniagua (Deportivo Pereira; 30 goals) | |||
Millonarios (10) | Deportivo Cali | Hugo Lóndero (Cúcuta Deportivo; 27 goals) | |||
Atlético Nacional (2) | Millonarios | Nelson Silva Pacheco (Cúcuta Deportivo / Junior; 36 goals) | |||
Deportivo Cali (5) | Atlético Nacional | Víctor Ephanor (Junior; 33 goals) | |||
Santa Fe (6) | Millonarios | Jorge Ramón Cáceres (Deportivo Pereira; 35 goals) | |||
Atlético Nacional (3) | Deportivo Cali | Miguel Angel Converti (Millonarios; 33 goals) | |||
Junior (1) | Deportivo Cali | Oswaldo Marcial Palavecino (Atlético Nacional; 33 goals) | |||
Millonarios (11) | Deportivo Cali | Oswaldo Marcial Palavecino (Atlético Nacional; 36 goals) | |||
América de Cali (1) | Santa Fe | Juan José Irigoyén (Millonarios; 36 goals) | |||
Junior (2) | Deportivo Cali | Sergio Cierra (Deportivo Pereira; 26 goals) | |||
Atlético Nacional (4) | Deportes Tolima | Víctor Hugo del Río (Deportes Tolima; 29 goals) | |||
América de Cali (2) | Deportes Tolima | Miguel Oswaldo González (Atlético Bucaramanga; 27 goals) | |||
América de Cali (3) | Junior | Hugo Gottardi (Santa Fe; 29 goals) | |||
América de Cali (4) | Millonarios | Hugo Gottardi (Independiente Santa Fe; 23 goals) | |||
América de Cali (5) | Deportivo Cali | Miguel Oswaldo González (Atlético Bucaramanga; 34 goals) | |||
América de Cali (6) | Deportivo Cali | Héctor Ramón Sossa (Independiente Medellín; 23 goals) | |||
Millonarios (12) | América de Cali | Jorge Aravena (Deportivo Cali; 23 goals) | |||
Millonarios (13) | Atlético Nacional | Sergio Angulo (Santa Fe; 29 goals) | |||
1989 | Championship not awarded | ||||
América de Cali (7) | Atlético Nacional | Antony de Ávila (América de Cali; 25 goals) | |||
Atlético Nacional (5) | América de Cali | Iván Valenciano (Junior; 30 goals) | |||
América de Cali (8) | Atlético Nacional | John Jairo Tréllez (Atlético Nacional; 25 goals) | |||
Junior (3) | Independiente Medellín | Miguel Guerrero (Junior; 34 goals) | |||
Atlético Nacional (6) | Millonarios | Rubén Darío Hernández (Independiente Medellín / Deportivo Pereira / América de Cali; 32 goals) | |||
Junior (4) | América de Cali | Iván Valenciano (Junior; 24 goals) | |||
Deportivo Cali (6) | Millonarios | Iván Valenciano (Junior; 36 goals) | |||
América de Cali (9) | Atlético Bucaramanga | Hamilton Ricard (Deportivo Cali; 36 goals) | |||
Deportivo Cali (7) | Once Caldas | Víctor Bonilla (Deportivo Cali; 37 goals) | |||
1999 | Atlético Nacional (7) | América de Cali | Sergio Galván Rey (Once Caldas; 26 goals) | ||
2000 | América de Cali (10) | Junior | Carlos Alberto Castro (Millonarios; 24 goals) | ||
2001 | América de Cali (11) | Independiente Medellín | Carlos Alberto Castro (Millonarios; 29 goals) Jorge Horacio Serna (Independiente Medellín; 29 goals) | ||
2002 | Apertura | América de Cali (12) | Atlético Nacional | Luis Fernando Zuleta (Unión Magdalena; 13 goals) | |
Finalización | Independiente Medellín (3) | Deportivo Pasto | Orlando Ballesteros (Atlético Bucaramanga; 13 goals) Milton Rodríguez (Deportivo Pereira; 13 goals) | ||
2003 | Apertura | Once Caldas (2) | Junior | Arnulfo Valentierra (Once Caldas; 13 goals) | |
Finalización | Deportes Tolima (1) | Deportivo Cali | Léider Preciado (Deportivo Cali; 17 goals) | ||
2004 | Apertura | Independiente Medellín (4) | Atlético Nacional | Sergio Herrera (América de Cali; 13 goals) | |
Finalización | Junior (5) | Atlético Nacional | Leonardo Fabio Moreno (América de Cali; 15 goals) Léider Preciado (Santa Fe; 15 goals) | ||
2005 | Apertura | Atlético Nacional (8) | Santa Fe | Víctor Aristizábal (Atlético Nacional; 16 goals) | |
Finalización | Deportivo Cali (8) | Real Cartagena | Jámerson Rentería (Real Cartagena; 12 goals) Hugo Rodallega (Deportivo Cali; 12 goals) | ||
2006 | Apertura | Deportivo Pasto (1) | Deportivo Cali | Jorge Díaz Moreno (Cúcuta Deportivo; 15 goals) | |
Finalización | Cúcuta Deportivo (1) | Deportes Tolima | Diego Álvarez (Independiente Medellín; 11 goals) Jhon Charría (Deportes Tolima; 11 goals) | ||
2007 | Apertura | Atlético Nacional (9) | Atlético Huila | Fredy Montero (Atlético Huila; 13 goals) Sergio Galván Rey (Atlético Nacional; 13 goals) | |
Finalización | Atlético Nacional (10) | La Equidad | Dayro Moreno (Once Caldas; 16 goals) | ||
2008 | Apertura | Boyacá Chicó (1) | América de Cali | Miguel Caneo (Boyacá Chicó; 13 goals) Iván Velásquez (Deportes Quindío; 13 goals) | |
Finalización | América de Cali (13) | Independiente Medellín | Fredy Montero (Deportivo Cali; 16 goals) | ||
2009 | Apertura | Once Caldas (3) | Junior | Teófilo Gutiérrez (Junior; 16 goals) | |
Finalización | Independiente Medellín (5) | Atlético Huila | Jackson Martínez (Independiente Medellín; 18 goals) | ||
2010 | Apertura | Junior (6) | La Equidad | Carlos Bacca (Junior; 12 goals) Carlos Rentería (La Equidad; 12 goals) | |
Finalización | Once Caldas (4) | Deportes Tolima | Wilder Medina (Deportes Tolima; 16 goals) Dayro Moreno (Once Caldas; 16 goals) | ||
2011 | Apertura | Atlético Nacional (11) | La Equidad | Carlos Rentería (Atlético Nacional; 12 goals) | |
Finalización | Junior (7) | Once Caldas | Carlos Bacca (Junior; 12 goals) | ||
2012 | Apertura | Santa Fe (7) | Deportivo Pasto | Robin Ramírez (Deportes Tolima; 13 goals) | |
Finalización | Millonarios (14) | Independiente Medellín | Henry Hernández (Cúcuta Deportivo; 9 goals) Carmelo Valencia (La Equidad; 9 goals) Germán Cano (Independiente Medellín; 9 goals) | ||
2013 | Apertura | Atlético Nacional (12) | Santa Fe | Wilder Medina (Santa Fe; 12 goals) | |
Finalización | Atlético Nacional (13) | Deportivo Cali | Dayro Moreno (Millonarios; 16 goals) Luis Carlos Ruiz (Junior; 16 goals) | ||
2014 | Apertura | Atlético Nacional (14) | Junior | Dayro Moreno (Millonarios; 12 goals) | |
Finalización | Santa Fe (8) | Independiente Medellín | Germán Cano (Independiente Medellín; 16 goals) | ||
2015 | Apertura | Deportivo Cali (9) | Independiente Medellín | Fernando Uribe (Millonarios; 15 goals) | |
Finalización | Atlético Nacional (15) | Junior | Jefferson Duque (Atlético Nacional; 15 goals) | ||
2016 | Apertura | Independiente Medellín (6) | Junior | Miguel Borja (Cortuluá; 19 goals) | |
Finalización | Santa Fe (9) | Deportes Tolima | Ayron del Valle (Millonarios; 12 goals) | ||
2017 | Apertura | Atlético Nacional (16) | Deportivo Cali | Dayro Moreno (Atlético Nacional; 14 goals) | |
Finalización | Millonarios (15) | Santa Fe | Yimmi Chará (Junior; 11 goals) Ayron del Valle (Millonarios; 11 goals) Dayro Moreno (Atlético Nacional; 11 goals) Carmelo Valencia (La Equidad; 11 goals) | ||
2018 | Apertura | Deportes Tolima (2) | Atlético Nacional | Germán Cano (Independiente Medellín; 12 goals) | |
Finalización | Junior (8) | Independiente Medellín | Germán Cano (Independiente Medellín; 20 goals) | ||
2019 | Apertura | Junior (9) | Deportivo Pasto | Germán Cano (Independiente Medellín; 21 goals) | |
Finalización | América de Cali (14) | Junior | Germán Cano (Independiente Medellín; 13 goals) Michael Rangel (América de Cali; 13 goals) | ||
2020 | América de Cali (15) | Santa Fe | Miguel Borja (Junior; 14 goals) | ||
2021 | Apertura | Deportes Tolima (3) | Millonarios | Jefferson Duque (Atlético Nacional; 11 goals) Fernando Uribe (Millonarios; 11 goals) Diego Herazo (La Equidad; 11 goals) | |
Finalización | Deportivo Cali (10) | Deportes Tolima | Harold Preciado (Deportivo Cali; 13 goals) |
Source for champions and runners-up by season: RSSSF[17]
List of champions[]
Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning years | Runners-up years |
---|---|---|---|---|
Atlético Nacional | 16 | 11 | 1954, 1973, 1976, 1981, 1991, 1994, 1999, 2005–I, 2007–I, 2007–II, 2011–I, 2013–I, 2013–II, 2014–I, 2015–II, 2017–I | 1955, 1965, 1971, 1974, 1988, 1990, 1992, 2002–I, 2004–I, 2004–II, 2018–I |
Millonarios | 15 | 10 | 1949, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1972, 1978, 1987, 1988, 2012–II, 2017–II | 1950, 1956, 1958, 1967, 1973, 1975, 1984, 1994, 1995–96, 2021–I |
América de Cali | 15 | 7 | 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1996–97, 2000, 2001, 2002–I, 2008–II, 2019–II, 2020 | 1960, 1969, 1987, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2008–I |
Deportivo Cali | 10 | 14 | 1965, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1995–96, 1998, 2005–II, 2015–I, 2021–II | 1949, 1962, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1985, 1986, 2003–II, 2006–I, 2013–II, 2017–I |
Junior | 9 | 10 | 1977, 1980, 1993, 1995, 2004–II, 2010–I, 2011–II, 2018–II, 2019–I | 1948, 1970, 1983, 2000, 2003–I, 2009–I, 2014–I, 2015–II, 2016–I, 2019–II |
Santa Fe | 9 | 6 | 1948, 1958, 1960, 1966, 1971, 1975, 2012–I, 2014–II, 2016–II | 1963, 1979, 2005–I, 2013–I, 2017–II, 2020 |
Independiente Medellín | 6 | 10 | 1955, 1957, 2002–II, 2004–I, 2009–II, 2016–I | 1959, 1961, 1966, 1993, 2001, 2008–II, 2012–II, 2014–II, 2015–I, 2018–II |
Once Caldas | 4 | 2 | 1950, 2003–I, 2009–I, 2010–II | 1998, 2011–II |
Deportes Tolima | 3 | 7 | 2003–II, 2018–I, 2021–I | 1957, 1981, 1982, 2006–II, 2010–II, 2016–II, 2021–II |
Deportivo Pasto | 1 | 3 | 2006–I | 2002–II, 2012–I, 2019–I |
Deportes Quindío | 1 | 2 | 1956 | 1953, 1954 |
Cúcuta Deportivo | 1 | 1 | 2006–II | 1964 |
Boyacá Chicó | 1 | — | 2008–I | — |
Unión Magdalena | 1 | — | 1968 | — |
La Equidad | — | 3 | — | 2007–II, 2010–I, 2011–I |
Atlético Huila | — | 2 | — | 2007–I, 2009–II |
Boca Juniors | — | 2 | — | 1951, 1952 |
Real Cartagena | — | 1 | — | 2005–II |
Atlético Bucaramanga | — | 1 | — | 1996–97 |
Source: RSSSF
References[]
- ^ "Así es el nuevo logo del FPC: llegó la Liga Aguila". GOL Caracol. 19 December 2014.
- ^ "Colombia - Foundation Dates of Clubs".
- ^ Ruíz Bonilla, Guillermo (2008). La gran historia del Fútbol Profesional Colombiano. Ediciones Dayscript. pp. 12–14, 19. ISBN 978-958-987-1300.
- ^ a b Ruíz Bonilla, Guillermo (2008). La gran historia del Fútbol Profesional Colombiano. Ediciones Dayscript. p. 51. ISBN 978-958-987-1300.
- ^ Acosta, Andrés (2013-01-10). "Colombia - List of Cup Winners". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Andrés Acosta and RSSSF. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
- ^ "El Tiempo - Colombia entra en la élite del fútbol mundial con 'la época de El Dorado'" (in Spanish).
- ^ "Balance de la Asamblea Extraordinaria de la Dimayor" (in Spanish). Dimayor.com. 12 December 2017. Archived from the original on 13 December 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
- ^ http://futbol-1a.com/tabla-historica-del-futbol-profesional-colombiano/[dead link]
- ^ dimayor.com.co/estadisticas/
- ^ Caracol Radio, ed. (14 July 2012). "Estos son los trofeos que reciben los campeones" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
- ^ "Semana.com - Imprimir". www.semana.com.
- ^ "¿Marca inalcanzable?". Liga Postobón (in Spanish). 26 April 2010. Archived from the original on 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2016-03-13.
- ^ "Hace 20 años empezó la historia de Sergio Galván Rey en el Once Caldas". La Patria (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2016-01-29. Retrieved 2016-03-13.
- ^ Ruiz Bonilla, Guillermo (October 2008). La gran historia del Fútbol Profesional Colombiano [The Grand History of Colombian Professional Football] (in Spanish). Ediciones Dayscript. p. 223. ISBN 978-958-98713-0-0.
- ^ "Colombia 1989". www.rsssf.com.
- ^ Arteaga, José; Ballesteros, Frank (March 6, 2008). "Colombian League Top Scorers". website. RSSSF. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
- ^ Juan Pablo Andres and Frank Ballesteros, 22 May 2014. "Colombia - List of Champions and Runners-Up". RSSSF. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
External links[]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Primera A (Colombia). |
- Categoría Primera A
- Top level football leagues of South America
- Football leagues in Colombia
- Sports leagues established in 1948
- 1948 establishments in Colombia