Several weeks ago OnCuba invited its readers to ask Javier Sotomayor anything they want to. Today we publish the first part of the dialogue in which the king of the heights fulfills his promise to reply to all.

It is said that those who persevere, win ... and that is true. One of the biggest proof of that, perhaps, was starred by American swimmer Diana Nyad, who after three failed attempts of crossing Florida Straits, covered the route between Havana and Key West without any protection. Minutes after her arrival in northern soil the president of the United States, Barack Obama , conveyed her through his Twitter account: "Congratulations, never give up your dreams", something about what Nyad has always been convinced; let us say that she has made it a philosophy of her life. "I have three messages. First: we must never give up. Second: you're never too old to try to make your dreams come true. Third: it looks like an individual sport but it really is a team effort, “the veteran athlete declared, exhausted after 52 hours, 54 minutes and 18 seconds swimming. But the prize is unequaled after four failed attempts since 2011, only that now luck accompanied her, because there is no doubt that this is an indispensable factor in a very complicated trajectory. For you to get an idea , Diana swam in an anti-jellyfish suit and used a protective mask for...

Veteran players from Industriales who traveled to Miami went to the stadium, first as spectators and then with their mind focused on the games they will play on Friday, August 23 and Saturday 24 in the Alonso High School in Tampa . On Wednesday night, the ten players from the Cuban capital made ​​a visit to Marlins Park, home of the Miami Marlins, who faced the Los Angeles Dodgers, both teams had Cuban presence in the field: Adeiny Hechevarría by the 'fishes' and the sensational rookie Yasiel Puig for the squad from California. As reported by the colleague Yasel Porto from Miami, Vargas, Padilla, Anglada and the others signed autographs all night and shared with their accustomed humbleness with all the fans who recognized them, asking for a picture or just talking about baseball. The fans of Industriales who are now based in Miami had a unique opportunity to share with glorious players who have written in golden pages the history of the most successful Cuban baseball team. "I came here just to see Anglada, Capiró, Medina, etc. I do not care about the Marlins too much, but the Industriales are my life, and those great I mentioned are the...

The Cuban delegation that participated in the recent World Athletics Championships returned without one of its members, the hurdler Orlando Ortega, according to the official confirmation released the National Federation of the discipline. Therefore, from now, the 2013 is named as "Year of hardships for Cuban hurdles," at least for those who want our best runners, beyond their thinking or philosophy, to defend the jersey of the four letters on the world of athletics. The denomination is founded and facts are there to prove it. First the former world record holder, Dayron Robles, reappeared on the international tracks racing under no flag, after having requested his dismissal from the national team. Robles ran in several meetings, and his times fell progressively and he signed for French club AS Monaco, for which he will run in the near future, because to compete for any nation he must wait two years after separating from the Cuban Federation. Thus, after the statement exchanges between Robles and Alberto Juantorena, president of the Cuban athletic institution, almost all of us waive him from seeing him race for Cuba, although there may be a tiny, tiny, tinypossibility. Now, as a domino effect, we lose Orlando Ortega, who had not yet attained mastery of Dayron, but had sufficient credentials to be established in the hurdles’ elite. Ortega was banned by the Cuban Federation last July for not attending a competition in Europe, but the entity lifted the punishment before the World Cup, where he ran out of pace, accusing almost a...

Industriales former stars Juan Padilla, Lazaro Vargas, Javier Mendez, and Rey Vicente Anglada, keep warming up Miami with the 50th anniversary of the blue team, represented in northern soil for ten players who traveled from the Island to meet with other formers stars who are based in the United States. Hundreds of statements   transcend from that city, where the players of the famous Cuban team have participated in discussions, interviews and community activities, including a visit to the Chapel of Charity, the patroness of Cuba. Besides, there have been exchanges with leading figures of the squad that left Cuba decades ago to try their luck elsewhere. As OnCuba  learned, pitcher Rene Arocha, who is in the United States since 1991, has served as one of the main organizers, very at all times to Capiró, Medina, Enriquito, Tony Gonzalez, Ferreiro, Valle and company. Precisely , the right-handed, who played in the majors with the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants, will serve as one of those who support the blue team with Osvaldo Fernandez and first baseman Colina in the coming duels of August 23 and 24 when they face an All Star of Cuban residents in the northern country....

Happily, Industriales is already in Miami. After some malicious rumors and intentions intending to frustrate the project of ¨Somos Cuba¨ Company, which was focused on celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Havana’s squad, ten retired players came to America with the firm target to further expand the blue fever through the language of baseball. Upon arrival, they were expected by a huge retinue that erupted when seeing again Cuban baseball stars, true symbols of the history of Industriales, lasting over half a century. Among them, the spectacular second baseman Rey Vicente Anglada said he was happy to make the trip, "which I feel will be very good in all respects." "This is a reunion that we owe each other and we just want to hug so many friends and fans who still love us everywhere. We know that there are many followers of Industriales in Miami, and also those who were glad to see us losing. This effort is made for all of them ​​,'' Anglada, visibly excited to reunite with his son, told the Nuevo Herald. From Miami, OnCuba could confirm the extraordinary atmosphere that reigned at the reception, but also knew that there is uncertainty about the game...

The journey of some veterans of Industriales team to the U.S. for celebrating the 50th anniversary of the blue squad has been an ordeal. But it starts to take shape after some weeks. At least the players will travel on Sunday to Miami. Juan Padilla and Lazaro Vargas, two of its most faithful stars, told OnCuba that this is a unique opportunity to unite players residing in both countries, regardless of their affiliations policies or motivesthey someday had to take certain decisions. "The important thing is to play baseball and show that through baseball, we are capable of overcoming any obstacle. After all, that is the aim of the sport: unifying, promoting and encouraging peace, "Lazaro Vargas said after a training session at the Havana´s Santiago "Changa" Mederos stadium, where a group of ten ex stellar players is training in order to get in the best conditions to Miami. "We've been training since Alejandro Canton, president of ¨Somos Cuba¨, talked to us about his interest and desire of realizing a project to and for baseball, and especially when the reason is celebrating the birthday of Industriales, a team beloved by millions of people in and outside the country, "Padilla, excited about the possibility of realizing a dream, stated. "It will be a great experience for everyone because we all, those from here and there, know the meaning of wearing the jersey of Industriales, and that is just what we will honor those who at some pointdefended these colors, as well as those who were our opponents and lived in a special way those remarkable battles, "Vargas told in clear reference to the games they will have on U.S. soil. In addition to Padilla and Vargas, the other members of Industriales that will travel to USA are the catchers Pedro Medina and Armando Ferreiro, infielders Rey Vicente  Anglada,...

A brief break in the majors, just four days, was enough for the baseball player Yuniesky Betancourt to be encouraged to cross the Straits of Florida destination Cuba, to resolve personal issues. That’s what OnCuba learned, and contacted the player-born in Villa Clara, on arrival to the island on Monday, when he said he would not grant any interviews during his short stay. 'Riquimbili' as he is popularly known in the baseball world, took advantage of the break for the All Stars in the United States, held since Monday in the Citi Field stadium in New York, and requested permission from his team, the Brewers Milwaukee, for a quick trip to his homeland and rejoin the franchise on Friday, when action resumes in the Majors. Betancourt, who escaped from Cuba on November 28, 2003, isn’t the first Cuban player based in the U.S. to return to his country, since others such as José Ariel Contreras and Rey Ordonez had traveled to the island after the expansion of immigration policy in October 2012, when the Cuban government announced the possibility of temporary return of thousands of illegal immigrants, professionals, doctors, artists and high performance athletes who fled the country since 1994....

No, Dayron Robles is not a soccer player, but until further notice he will compete defending the colors of the French club AS Monaco, worldwide recognized for its soccer power, although in recent years its dominance has diminished, a story that should change in a few months. But first let's talk about Dayron, who has confessed his interest on definitely going to the Stade Louis II to witness a soccer game of his new club and taking pictures with stars of the caliber of RadamelFalcao; his main goal is to show the world that he still retains the qualities that allow him to become Olympic champion and world record holder in the 110-meter hurdles. For a moment, I thought it would cost him a lot to race again due to Alberto Juantorena´s statements on behalf of the Cuban Athletics Federation, in which Dayron was accused of indiscipline andunethical conduct after his involvement in the Primo Nebiolo Memorial in Turin, where he run representing himself. In the event he competed without sponsors and without representing any association or institution, which led to a string of criticism from his native Cuba, supported then by IAAF and its regulation, which specifies that no athlete may participate in international competition unless being affiliated to a club or a country federation. But the novel came to its end , faster than I expected, and Robles, to the delight of many, will jump again to the tracks at the Ville de Reims Athletics Meeting, northern France. " Thank God I belong to AS Monaco and I am very happy. Now I am under the jurisdiction of the French federation and all I want is to compete, "the Cuban hurdler said, whose only immediate outlook isat least getting closer to the records that placed him among the elite . Precisely competing out of shape and leaving a bad image, as happened a couple of weeks ago in Turin, would be the only unforgivable thing for Robles, who hoards class...

At first sight, it was all warmth and smiles during Sepp Blatter’s visit to Cuba, but certain very transcendent issues for football in the country have fallen behind the scenes.

Without a doubt, a curious fruit that is named cocoa everywhere, absolutely delicious in its purest form, which, mind you, not the remotest resemblance to the chocolate.

Speaking of thrashings in Cuban soccer is almost as referring to huge beatings against Cuba´s national team. However, a different picture is emerging because the U20 Cuban national team hammered (3-0) its counterpart of Nicaragua in the CONCACAF WC Qualifying Championship, which grants four tickets to the universal tourney Turkey 2013.

Photo: Ricardo López Hevia After almost forty years, we ask ourselves if Forestales team would have finished in the 12th spot during its debut in Cuban Baseball Series if they had retained in its roster a lanky and skeletal boy, but clearly a potential star in the world of balls and strikes.