The Cuban super-heavyweight greco wrestler Mijail Lopez have the unique opportunity to compete later this year against Argentinean star Lionel Messi, in contention for the Latin American Sportsman trophy of the season, an award given annually by Prensa Latina news agency.
Mijaín, born in the town of Herradura in Cuba´s westernmost province Pinar del Rio 30 years ago, will opt strongly for the award after winning the title at the Olympic Games in London in 2012, with victories over the best specialists in the world in the 120 kilogram division, especially over Turkish Riza Kayaalp who had defeated him in the final of the World Championships.
With this triumph, the great Cuban gladiator added a second Olympic crown to his resume, which also shows four world titles, two Pan American and one in the World Cup of Clermont-Ferrand in 2009.
These successes place positions him in the best position to succeed Messi on the throne as Latin Sportsman of the year, but the Argentinean star has too many preferences for its supernatural action with FC Barcelona.
In 2012, Messi won with his team the Copa del Rey tittle, but the main bases of his candidacy are supported in his individual performance, after breaking all records as a scorer in the history of European football, especially by sending to whole new dimension the number of goals in a season in the Spanish League (50) and 14 in the European Champions League.
Now, the battle for the traditional Prensa Latina prize -established in 1964 – will also have other great contenders such as Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt (second place in 2011 behind Messi) or baseball player Miguel Cabrera.
Bolt has a chance to win the trophy thanks to his three gold medals in London, while Cabrera’s candidacy is supported by obtaining the Batting Triple Crown and MVP of the American League in the U.S. major leagues.
Who will win? We will have to wait until December20, when Prensa Latina publishes the final result of the vote from its headquarters in Havana city.
