A few days ago it was officially confirmed that the International Judo Federation (IJF) granted Cuba the venue of one of the five annual Grand Prix category tournaments in 2014 and 2016, a real acknowledgement to the proven quality of Cubans in the global arena. The decision was announced at a press conference by Romanian Marius Vizer, president of the IJF, who said he had been a Cuban judo admirer since his days as an athlete and coach, motivated by the results Cuba achieved despite being in the middle of economic difficulties.

For Sara Ferrara traveling to Cuba is more than just a matter of a succulent holiday. This Italian, born in Sardinia 44 years ago, found one of his great passions in the baseball that is played on the Caribbean island, and whenever she can escape her job duties she comes to discuss in any stadium about balls and strikes.

The first time I saw him, he was driving at over seventy miles per hour. He resembled a flea on the back of a German shepherd. His red dress combined perfectly with his 55 cubic centimeters motorcycle. He had adorned the engine with a recreation of Spiderman. On it, like walking on his own feet, the child with long blond ponytail retraced the makeshift circuit in front of the Havana’s Malecon.

Cuban Olympic champion Roniel Iglesias will try to win the Playa Girón National Boxing Tournament to be held from next December 16th in Sancti Spiritus city. Many people may think with his record this event is a mere formality, but it represents a new challenge in the life of this boxer because he will compete for the first time in the 69 kg division.

The game had been going on for 38 minutes. The Cuban team was playing dangerously at the Pedro Marrero stadium of the capital. The Panamanian visitors could do little against their technical superiority. A pass filtered in the area. Team captain Alberto Gómez received the ball backwards to the goal, turned round and hit it almost at ground level. The ball “capriciously” entered the opponent’s net and the Cubans yelled as loud as they could the scream of “goal” they had silenced for 487 minutes in this world qualifying round.

I ran into her outside the Judo Gymnasium at the Cerro Pelado High Performance Center. She was talking with several team-mates during a break. You could hear the sound of bodies falling hard on the mattress inside the gym. I could see some surprise in her eyes when I stretched her hand gently in greeting. I identified myself and she gave me a smile from my first greeting.

Holguin native Leuris Pupo Requejo will always remember August 3, 2012 as one of the happiest days of his life. At the Royal Artillery Barracks, London, the specialist 25 meters rapid fire pistol became the first Cuban Olympic champion in shooting sports, an award for his dedication and sacrifice of more than 15 years in the national team. A little shy, soft-spoken that sometimes you mistake with a slight stammer, Leuris shared OnCuba emotions he felt while listening to the Cuban anthem from the top of the podium under the five rings.

In the town of Santa Maria del Rosario, located in the Havana municipality of Cotorro, everyone knows him. "There, in the house that has the San Lazaro in the front," says the first person you ask. The fact is that Ronaldo Veitia Valdivié meets like anyone else the requirements to be Illustrious Son of that municipality.

Chorro de Maita, an archaeological site located in the municipality of Banes, is reached through the winding road that connects the city of Holguin with the world famous resort of Guardalavaca. Some six kilometers after the beach, the road takes you through low hills to   the first aboriginal cemetery discovered in Cuba. After analizing the evidence found and the acculturation of the various forms of burial, scientists think here was one of the first places where the Spaniards and Cuban aboriginal people lived together.

Some 10 groups of the Cuba Antique Cars and Motorcycles Clubs Association (UCAMAC by its Spanish acronym) turned the Eduardo Saborit Sports Complex in the Havana’s municipality of Playa into a true museum of vehicles. The First UCAMAC Motor Show 2012, which was held on Sunday September 9, gather close to a hundred vehicles, motorcycles and cycles of the different clubs, in a fraternal competition to win the single´s Most Popular award and Club’s  Best Stand.

There is only one tomb at the Colon cemetery in Havana city that is always covered by flowers. Part because of the legend that surrounds Amelia Goyri de la Hoz, “La Milagrosa” (The Miraculous One), tradition and faith have turned the site into a place of worship.

More than 90 performances have been programmed for the 14th National Theater Festival of Camagüey 2012 that will take place next September 8-15. The venues of this event will be the theaters Principal, El Viento, Tassende, Avellaneda and of the Academy Vicentina de la Torre, as well as the halls of Guiñol de Camagüey (puppet theater), La Edad de Oro and the recently inaugurated Virgilio Piñera hall.

Hotel Nacional de Cuba, one of the country’s most emblematic tourist installations, will be the venue next October of the 13th International Wine Feast, an excellent opportunity for exchanges among mixing experts, tasters, producers, distributors, sommeliers, professionals of the gastronomy trade, enologists and businessmen from different parts of the world. The meeting, foreseen for October 3-5, has the purpose of contributing to the growth of quality tourism as well as in the segment of high level travelling and gastronomy.