Thirty-three years had passed since David Doleguita Little League’s previous Little League World Series appearance in 2026.
The team represented Chiriquí, Panama, and returned to Williamsport after its earlier appearance in 1993. The gap from 1993 to 2026 was 33 years, making the qualification one of the notable comeback stories in the 2026 field.
David Doleguita secured its place by winning a best-of-three Panama regional championship series against Barrio Colon Little League of Panama Oeste. The league’s earlier 1993 team had finished as the tournament runner-up.
The calculation is based on the years of appearance, not the number of completed seasons between tournaments. It also describes the league’s own return, rather than Panama’s total number of World Series appearances.