Cancún’s Mayas Win Continental Flag Football Championship

Cancún, Quintana Roo — The sporting success of continental flag football has reached a new milestone for the state of Quintana Roo. The women’s selection, known as the Mayas of Cancún, claimed the trophy of the international NFL Flag Championship Américas, held recently in the city of Monterrey, Nuevo León. This achievement not only positions the local team as a reference in the discipline at the national level, but also consolidates them as the monarchs of the region after overcoming high-competition representatives from various latitudes of the Americas. The tournament had as its main stage the Estadio Banorte, where the Quintana Roo athletes demonstrated superior strategic capacity.

The participation of the young athletes in this continental flag football event was the result of a rigorous and constant preparation process. The team, which has its training base at the field of supermanzana 61 in the city of Cancún, arrived in the Sultana del Norte with the backing of having previously obtained a national championship. During the group phase and the elimination rounds, the players faced sports powers such as Panama, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Brazil. Each match demanded the maximum physical and mental performance from the selection, achieving positive results that led them to the grand final, where they were finally proclaimed champions.

Trajectory Since the National Women’s Championship

The foundation of this international triumph was cemented years ago. It is important to highlight that the representative of the Mayas of Cancún achieved their qualification to this continental stage after proclaiming themselves champions in the National Women’s NFL Flag Tochito U15 Tournament of the past 2015. This numerical data underlines the longevity of the sports project and the consistency of the technical bodies that have passed through the organization. Maintaining a competitive level for so long is a logistical and sporting challenge that today yields its most important fruits with the obtaining of the international title, validating the process that began at the local level and scaled to the top of continental flag football.

The governor of Quintana Roo, Mara Lezama Espinosa, publicly recognized this effort, qualifying the team as an example of what local talent can achieve when combined with discipline. The team is integrated by players who have dedicated a large part of their formation to this sport: Paloma, Debhani, Renata, Sarahi, Valentina, Victoria, Sofía, María, Celeste, and Vannia. The work of these young women has been guided by coaches Ángel Medellín and Emilio “Titán” Fernández, who designed the tactical scheme that allowed them to neutralize the most dynamic international offenses of the tournament. The triumph in the previous national championship was only the first step of an evolution that today the entire entity celebrates.

Decisive Boost to Women’s Sports Talent

The development of women’s talent in disciplines like flag football has shown exponential growth in the region. During the act of recognition to the champions, the presence of Eric Arcila Arjona, Head of the Governor’s Office, and Jacobo Arzate Hop, president of the Quintana Roo Sports Commission (CODEQ), was counted. Both officials agreed that the results obtained by the Mayas of Cancún are an engine for more girls and adolescents to get involved in high-performance physical activities. Institutional support has focused on providing the necessary facilities so that women’s talent has dignified training spaces and the possibility of traveling to competitions of this magnitude.

Beyond the strategy on the field, the human factor and the support of the community have been fundamental. The parents of the team members have played a leading role, financing and supporting the long training sessions and the necessary transfers to compete. This social fabric that surrounds the athletes is what allows women’s talent to transcend state borders. The governmental recognition in charge of Mara Lezama Espinosa emphasizes that these athletes not only won a trophy, but have opened doors for future generations of players who today see in flag football a path of personal and professional development.

The impact of this continental championship also resonates in the tourist and sports promotion of Cancún. Being a 100 percent local team, the players become ambassadors of the entity. The visibility granted by a tournament organized under the NFL seal allows the name of Quintana Roo to be associated with sporting excellence. It is expected that after this triumph, the influx of young people interested in joining the trainings in supermanzana 61 will increase significantly, strengthening the local league and ensuring that the state continues to be an inexhaustible source of athletes who can repeat the feat of winning a national championship and, subsequently, dominate the international scene of continental flag football.

“The Mayas leave a mark and open doors to future players, because they have already shown that yes, it is possible.”

The triumph of the Mayas of Cancún invites reflection on the importance of long-term sports processes. When natural talent meets a solid support structure and professional technical direction, international results cease to be a coincidence to become a logical consequence. This continental championship is not just a medal in the showcase, but the testimony of a generation of women who have decided to lead the playing field with determination.