In atypical year for the Cuban sports movement, an event with international character has been balm to meet the ever necessary competitive tune-up to face a tournament at any level. Several Cuban sporting disciplines found in the Pan American Sports Festival in Mexico the chance to prove themselves prior to the Caribbean and Central American Games in Veracruz, Mexico, to be held from November 14 through the 30. The festival has developed in three phases from July until September, and allowed them to explore various strategies for the immediate future, due to the presence of many of the same exponents that will be at the end of the year in the Games. Cuba's attendance at international events in the beginning of this 2014 was so limited that most of the national teams remained at all times in their training centers. Several squads, however, had the opportunity to train along other nations due to the support of various brands and sports institutions. The usual track and field tours, winter and summer, this time were supported by the sports brand Puma; intense and very successful tour of Asia for the basketball teams were covered by the Chinese Federation; the participation of rower...

The Cuban women's basketball team is ready to participate from this Friday in a triangular tournament called the International Teams Absolute along with Canada and Spain in search of the best way to tackle the sport discipline's World Championship, to be played in Turkey, from September 27 through October 5. Directed by DT Alberto Zabala they will have in this event in Spanish soil, specifically in the northern town of Logroño, a major commitment to smooth rough defensive skill, empathize in the technical-tactical order and oppose representations of pedigree that are also getting ready for the Worlds. The host team is the current European champion and has on its payroll several players who are among the best in the continent. Among its features stand out the speed on the court, precise shots from the short, medium and long distance, and an effective inside game. Their status is such that most of the specialists foresee them in the final-four stage. For its part, the Canadian won the second place in the FIBA Americas tournament last year. In fact, they lost the last match against the Cubans, who after that terrific performance restored hope to the fans of the sport on the...

At the end of the summer season for athletics, and Cubans in full swing towards a new edition of the Central American and Caribbean Sports Games in Veracruz, the Cuban athletes participated in the second Continental Cup held this weekend in Marrakesh, Morocco. Only discus thrower Jorge "Pachichi" Fernandez climbed the awards podium by winning the second place with a 62.97 meters shot, on a test won by Estonian Gerd Kanter, multiple World and Olympic medalist. The bronze medal was won by the Jamaican Jason Morgan (62.70), rival of Cuban in the oldest regional games in the world. In this same specialty, Yaime Pérez (59.38) ended fifth, while media attention was for third place in the Croatian and big favorite Sandra Perkovic (62.08). The slip of the super star, a former opponent of Pinar del Rio Yarelis Barrios, had her stay far from her usual shots. The other representative of the Island in the event was Roberto Janet (71.98). The hammer thrower was no problem for the Hungarian Kristian Pars (78.99), lord and master in this cycle. A discouraging news was the seventh place for the world junior champion Yordán O'Farrill, who ran the 110 meter hurdles in 13.67 seconds,...

Only one sport boasts to have garnered at least a title for Cuba in recent Olympic events from Barcelona 1992. Even boxing doesn’t hold that distinction. A discipline that also has not been free of desertions, lack of competitive events, disciplinary analysis, but that dictates at least two reasonable elements: the wisdom of the trainers and the innate talent of its exponents. Wrestling, in both modalities, is currently sold as a spearhead in each multi-sport tournament. This Monday starts in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, its world championships, the place where seven Cuban gladiators, three Greco-Roman and four in freestyle, dream to win a title. OnCuba spoke with Julio Mendieta, head coach of the men's national team of freestyle wrestling in order to know his expectations in this event. How does the technical direction asses the current status of the members of the team? "In general, the team was prepared very well, with regard to raising the technical-tactical level, and looking for the right choice for athletes, according to the assigned amount". The group was finally formed by Yowlis Bonne, Pan American bronze in the 61 kg division; Livan Lopez (74 kg), third in London Olympics and second in the world championships last...

About a hundred gems of cars attended last Sunday to a meeting of the “A locubano” (Cuban) Vintage Cars Club in the municipality of Playa, in Havana. The Tenth Rally of Regularity: Castrol 2014 Cup was a celebration of motor vehicles during the summer season that ends on August 30. Some of the sponsors of the event are Bucanero, Ciego Montero, Habana Club, Llerysoft, among others / Image: Jhonah Díaz González. The Rally was a recreational, sports and cultural party for those present last Sunday, August 24, at the park in 3rd Avenue between 0 and 2, in Playa / Image: Jhonah Díaz González. The vehicles made a tour of 61 kilometers through the main arteries in Havana. Motorcycles and cars arrived in perfect condition, well lubricated; while drivers made their best to resemble Valentino Rossi or Fernando Alonso regarding their outfits. However, in this competition drivers don’t go at full speed and pay proper attention to traffic regulations in order to avoid traffic violations. The Cuban identity distinguishes the beauty of these rolling antiquities / Image: JhonahDíaz González. A considerable variety of colors, brands and car models andmotorbikes assaulted Havana during the Tenth Rally of Regularity: Castrol 2014 Cup...

A few hours ago the European Athletics Championships culminated in Zurich, Switzerland, where several Cubans had good performances on behalf of other nations, and where the so-called weaker sex made ​​headlines. The Letzigrund Stadium in the Swiss city witnessed how the Cuban-turned Italian, Lisbania Grenot, won the race in the 400 meters, ahead of the Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu from the UK, who this time was out of the awards podium when she finished fourth. Grenot, 31, ran the distance in 51.10 seconds to leave in the second position Ukrainian Olha Semliak (51.36) and stay close to her personal best and the Italian national record (50.83). "La Pumita" as they call her, has had for a few years already the Italian citizenship after her marriage, and has represented that country in Olympic and world events. However, the more striking news for Cuban athletes in the same race was Indira Terrero, once first among the Cuban ladies in that distance. Petite, with good technique, good passing range, but with a relatively low rate compared to the elite, she got her first major performance on behalf of Spain to hang on her neck the bronze medal. Pan American champion in the 4...

The sands of Varadero’s International Seaside Resort, in Matanzas province, will be on fire this weekend during the seventh stop for the Beach Volleyball Tournament by the North, Centro-American and the Caribbean Confederation (NORCECA by its acronym in Spanish). The event will take place from August 22 through 24, at the Puntarenas Hotel, where the important tourist resort will become the venue of the tournament for the fourth time in a row. It will be attended by several of the best couples from our geographical region. it will welcome couples from more than 12 nations, especially from the United States, the favorite both in the categories of women and men, with Todd Rogers and Theo Brunner, Kimberly McGiven and Tealle Hunkus, and William Allen and Trevor Crabb as for men; and Sarah Day and Briana Hinga as for women. Other countries such as the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Aruba, Canada, Puerto Rico and Mexico, will bring experienced players in this kind of events. This year’s season started last April, in Cayman Islands. As usual, Cuba will have more participation in its condition of organizer. It will be represented by the duet Sergio González-Nivaldo Díaz, winners of three out of the...

After the controversial victory over Thai Sod Kokietgym (63-3-1, 28 KOs) in the special event of Top Rank in the Cotai Arena in Macao, China, the Cuban world champion in the 122 pound division, Guillermo Rigondeaux (14-0, 9), issued a challenge to the Mexican Leo Santa Cruz to fight as soon as possible, even in September, according to the proposal made by Caribe Promotion, the firm Rigondeaux fights for now. The Olympic champion and his technical group made clear his ambition to unify titles with the Mexican. "El Chacal" holds the belts of the World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Organization (WBO), while his possible rival Santa Cruz holds the crown of the World Boxing Council (WBC). The other champ is Spanish Kiko Martinez for the International Boxing Federation (IBF), who also enters the speculation. The match may well materialize in the ninth month of this year after the fast, easy and controversial victory of the Cuban in his last appearance, on July 19. There he had to sweat little since in the very first round, when barely 1.44 minutes into the combat he knocked out Kokietgym with a devastating left hook. Before the unexpected end, the Thai boxer...

In a fantastic season the young Cuban hurdler Orlando Ortega won this Friday the silver medal in Monaco, the tenth stop of the athletics´ Diamond League. Ortega stopped the clocks at 13.01 seconds, the best of his career, showing why he was considered the heir of the former world record holder Dayron Robles, and reaffirmed himself in the elite of the specialty. He finished sixth in London 2012 and was surpassed only this time by the French Pascal Martinot-Lagarde, another rising athlete, who scored a superb 12.95. In the third place concluded the Russian Sergey Shuvenkov (13.14), while stars like the Americans David Oliver, Ryan Wilson and world record holder Aries Merritt were left out of the podium. Ortega, who was also a disciple of seasoned coach Santiago Antunez, defected from the Cuban Indian delegation last year at the World Cup in Moscow. In the world event he was eliminated in the first round when he finished third last of his heat with a time of 13.69 seconds, his personal best was 13.08-, but was away from the tracks several months due to a penalty. Supposedly, the reason was that he and his trainer Kelvis Antunez, son of Santiago Antunez,...

Apparently professional Japanese baseball teams are engaged - how well! – in signing several Cuban players that today are showing their quality. While it had been reported the presence of executives of the ORIX Buffaloes, to which its analogs Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks would be added, it was the institution of the Yomiuri Giants-best team in the Land of the Rising Sun, which took another player to their venue at the Tokyo Dome. The flamethrower Hector Manuel Mendoza will get to this franchise for the current season, and incidentally will join his countrymen Frederich Cepeda and Leslie Anderson, said today the Japanese squad. Owner of a fastball that exceeds 95 miles per hour, and being only 20-year-old the right-hander from the Isle of Youth in three national campaigns has an ERA of 2.73 in 135 innings, with 96 strikeouts and 81 walks. The press release explains that the lanky pitcher (1.90 meters) will go through the affiliate club in search of adaptation and understanding of the competitive league for many the second best in the planet. However, these days he is training in Matanzas, guided by Alfonso Urquiola, for the friendly matches a national team will play against the US collegiate...

The Cuban Erislandy Lara (19-2, 12 KOs) lost on Saturday to Mexican Saul Alvarez (44-1, 31), by a split vote in the MGM Grand hotel casino in Las Vegas. In the contested decision, the judges ruled in favor of "Canelo" 113-115, 115-113, and the surprisingly 117-111 of the referee Levi Martinez. The 12-round bout was close from beginning to end, and everyone there imposed his style. The Guantanamo boxer attacked from behind, moving in all sides of the ring, to follow the riposte boxing Cubans master, showing patience and his majority in the pros. Meanwhile, his opponent was always forward, unveiled the courage and bravery of the Aztecs, and looked for every breath that lucky punch that would end the combat. The verdict, criticized by most, came despite the superiority of the Cuban in impacts and won rounds. Erislandy effectively managed 107 total hits, while "Canelo" remained at 97. Regarding the assaults, the Guantanamo was better in 7 of the 12, with draws in the fifth and last. The amateur world champion in 2005 looked great and at moments made evident his superiority over the "darling" of the promoters which again was disappointing in boxing issues. Moral: either you are...