WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao’s Little League world champions received a hero’s welcome Monday as hundreds of relatives, friends and supporters gathered at Curaçao International Airport and later along the streets of Willemstad to celebrate the island’s second Little League World Series title.
The Pariba Little League team landed at Hato at 1:40 p.m. Monday following its return from the United States. The players had defeated U.S. champion Paseo Verde Little League of Nevada 11-2 in Sunday’s World Series final in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
The championship is only Curaçao’s second Little League world title and the first since 2004. It is also the first world championship for Pariba, which completed the tournament undefeated with five victories.
The team scored 34 runs while allowing only five during its five games in Williamsport. Curaçao defeated Japan 6-0, South Korea 1-0, Nicaragua 12-3, Japan again 4-0 in the international final and Nevada 11-2 in the world championship game.
Monday’s celebrations continued in the afternoon with a parade beginning at 5:45 p.m. at Plaza Hariri near Palu Blanku. The procession traveled through Marchena and along Roodeweg before reaching Otrobanda, with supporters gathering along the route to welcome the young champions.
The government had earlier allowed civil servants to finish work at 3:00 p.m., where operationally possible, so they could participate in the celebrations. Justice Minister Shalten Hato also encouraged private-sector employers to consider giving workers the opportunity to attend. Essential government services were excluded from the arrangement.
The official celebration began at Brionplein at 7:00 p.m., where the players and coaching staff were honored with speeches, music, dance performances and gifts.
Among the gifts announced for the team is a new bus that will be used to transport the young baseball players.
The 2026 championship carries additional significance because Curaçao participated this year under a new World Series structure that gave the island its own region and a direct place in the international portion of the tournament. Pariba first had to defeat local rival Pabao to earn the Curaçao berth.
Pariba then went through the entire World Series without losing a game. In the championship against Nevada, Curaçao fell behind 2-0 in the second inning — its first deficit of the tournament — before scoring in each of the next four innings and eventually winning 11-2.
The victory came exactly 22 years after Curaçao captured its first Little League World Series championship in 2004. That team, representing Pabao Little League, defeated Conejo Valley East of California 5-2 in the final and included future Major League Baseball players Jurickson Profar and Jonathan Schoop.
Monday’s celebration at Brionplein brought the historic achievement home, with the young players receiving recognition not only for winning a world championship but also for once again placing Curaçao prominently on the international baseball stage.