the first time in over ten years, and they have been regular fixtures of Serie A in the years since. In general, Ambato has at least one team in Serie A at any given time, and in 2018 Macará has led the series. There are many other sports popular among Ambateños including basketball, tennis, swimming, and Ecuavolley. Ecuavolley is a variation of volleyball, played specifically in Ecuador. It features three players per team on a small court with a high net. Players normally use a soccer ball in place of a volleyball. Ecuavolley is popular in Ambato and the surrounding regions, where it is played both on formal courts in city parks as well as on the side streets of barrios. The Plaza de toros Monumental is located in Ambato. The bullring has a capacity of 11,000 and it opened in 1963. Basketball is also gaining popularity in Ambato. There is a very fierce rivalry in basketball between two of Ambato's largest high schools, Colegio Nacional Bolívar and Colegio Técnico Guayaquil. These games are usually hosted in the Coliseo Cerrado de Deportes, the large coliseum across the street from Estadio Bellavista. The Coliseo Cerrado is also the venue for the beauty pageant portion of the Festival of Fruits and Flowers. Notable people Anita Velastegui (born 1942), Ecuadorian Army officer Juan Benigno Vela (born 1843), Politician, Writer, Journalist. Juan León Mera (born 1832), Novelist, Writer, Painter, Politician. Juan Montalvo (born 1832), Writer See also Ecuador Juan Montalvo References External links Ambato municipality Map of Ambato Ambato's visitor site (in Spanish) Official page of the annual fruits and flower festival El Heraldo, Ambato-based daily newspaper Instituto Tecnologico Superior Bolivar, High School (in Spanish) Populated places in Tungurahua Province Provincial capitals in Ecuador Populated places established in 1698 1698 establishments in the Spanish Empire