Costa Rica to host sportfishing World Championship

Some 200 international competitors will seek in Costa Rica the honor of becoming the XII Sportfishing World Champion from April 14-19.

Marina Pez Vela, at the central Pacific port of Quepos, will host the “2013 Offshore World Championship,” known by fans as the “Olympics of Sportfishing.”

The event involves 65 teams from 30 countries, and Costa Rica’s central Pacific was chosen because it offers optimal conditions: calm water, top-quality accommodations and tourist attractions, as well as enough charter boats perfectly set for fishing, organizers said.

The global competition has been held in Hawaii (twice), and Los Cabos, Mexico, for the past nine years. Last year’s edition brought together a total of 209 fishermen.

Sportfishing is a popular activity in the country. According to a 2011 survey by the Costa Rican Tourism Board, 73,281 tourists that arrived by plane that year came to fish in Tico waters.