El Pueblo Coliseum

The coliseum is located in the Alberto Galindo Sports Unit, where the Alcides Nieto Patiño Velodrome, Bowling and Billiard Coliseum, World Skating Ring, and Cañaveralejo Bullfighting Ring are located. It was built for the VI Pan-American Games of 1971 and designed by Guillermo González Zuleta to accommodate 17.500 spectators.

El Pueblo Coliseum has an area of 22.300 square meters and its internal oval has 62 per 54 meters. At the time of the XVIII National Athletic Games in 2008, the facility had several improvements in its infrastructure that gave it a better appearance.

The impressive structure seen from above resembles a huge spaceship, which has become one of the most important sport centers in Cali. This place is dedicated to the training of table tennis, gymnastics, fencing, judo, boxing, and taekwondo high performance athletes. It has also been the scenario of big championships such as the Basketball Women’s World Championship in 1975, the Men’s National Basketball Cup in 1976, the Boxing World Title Fight between the Colombian Rodrigo “Rocky” Valdés and the Argentine Ramón Ménezes in 1978, IX World Men’s Basketball Championship, and the V Pan-American Children’s Fighting Championship.

Besides having a purely sporting nature, in this venue have been organized different kinds of concerts, fairs, conventions and expositions, as well as circuses and ice carnivals, among others. 

El Pueblo Coliseum has contributed citizens with a sporting culture. In its surroundings there are courts of five-a-side, football, volleyball and chaza (known as tennis adapted by the inhabitants of the South Colombia region); places that have a large number of people in weekends and is used for recreational and sporting activities with friends and relatives.

During The World Games 2013 this venue will host the gymnastics competitions.