Cuban sports have a lot of fabric to cut through when conducting analyzes for 2021 that sees the curtain fall. The patented performances in the Tokyo Olympics, especially in terms of titles (7), and total medals (15), perhaps serve as a screen for many to classify these 12 months as positive.
Especially when the scourge of the Covid-19 pandemic made our system of getting fit and competitive friction prior to the appointment of the Japanese capital, sometimes it seemed like an ordeal. Faced with such a hostile scenario, the preparation bases under a bubble format in the internal sphere, spread throughout several provinces, taking into account the epidemiological situation and favorable conditions; and others under similar fees abroad, contributed to our athletes being able to reach such a demanding environment in the best possible conditions.
Now, let’s take other elements into account, taking precisely the lands of the rising sun as a starting point. Combat disciplines aside, the remaining Antillean medals were carried out by the canoeists’ duo made up of Serguey Torres-Fernando Dayán Jorge (gold); the fast shooter Leuris Pupo and the long jumper Juan Miguel Echevarría (silver); and also athletes Maykel Massó and Yaimé Pérez (bronze).
Which fixes in three sports the others that contributed to the Antillean medal table, with some others that registered commendable performances such as our weightlifters Ludia Montero (6th of 49 kg), and Marina Rodríguez (8th of 64); the Cuatrocentista Roxana Gómez, the tripler Liadagmis Povea, and our female 4×400 relay on the field and track itself; our remaining canoeists; and the female duo of the beach voly; within the vanguard squad of an initial entourage of 69 registered, the smallest in 57 years; and in what influenced to a great extent not being able to register any collective sport, of the total of 15 in which it ventured.
Video: Courtesy of Telecristal.
Right there a question pops up: What has happened to our ensemble modalities? Which comes accompanied by others.
Sports such as fencing, diving, artistic gymnastics, rowing and cycling, have given up so much ground, even on a continental level, that it becomes very cumbersome, first to materialize classifications, and then performances of a higher qualitative level.
This without underestimating a sui generis qualifying panorama, but ultimately the same one faced by the rest of the nations to some extent, except in those sports classified by ranking, where the obligation to participate and score in scheduled matches in a timely manner, made difficult in greater degree the presence of our troops, especially due to issues associated with the extension of competitive periods, extremely long flights and several stopovers given the situation imposed by the Covid-19, complex visas, and the economic tightness that constitutes an additional enemy , exacerbated by the rigor of the economic blockade imposed by the United States.
With all those ingredients, although the Cuban medal table in Tokyo shows a superior performance; the other indicators invite a deeper reflection.
Only seven sports managed to climb to the awards podium, we already mentioned the orphanness of the disciplines as a whole, to which is added the fact that many other of our troops did not go beyond their first or second forays. That without underestimating unfortunate organization charts and rivals with much greater competitive endorsement and honors.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mnxZi_WXc0
Video: Courtesy of TV Guantánamo.
What about our baseball and volleyball? Growing exodus of players apart. The quality of the respective domestic competitions of these disciplines is not enough to later aspire to register under the five rings, or rule as we used to do on this side of the Atlantic. To which is added a deteriorated pyramid from the lower categories, difficulties with the recruitment of talents, competitive infrastructure and the need for greater training of knowledge … And those are only the two with the greatest tradition, roots and historical record of our sports movement.
But basketball, handball, water polo and football also count when taking this look, which contemplates their career and development at home, how to ensure the relief and a quarry that reaches the category with certain quality standards adult, and a competitive structure that does not become overly dependent on the hiring policy abroad.
That said, there are specialties that have patented a resurgence, and signs of development and insertion in the dissimilar competitive scenarios. Indoor volleyball and men’s basketball, with more shadows than lights, left some breath for the next cycle; as well as the modern pentathlon; table tennis, (mainly on a continental level); sport shooting …
In terms of debts, artistic gymnastics, fencing, cycling saving the extra-class road Arlenis Sierra; weightlifting itself; and a sport so central in any panorama of multiple events such as swimming, second most contributor in terms of medal games, and in which, although our main cards improved their personal records during the period in question, these times did not reach them. to sneak into the elite, not even America’s.
So you have to review many issues in order to get back on track towards Paris 2024 in the best possible way. One that does not direct all eyes exclusively to high performance and its expression in the Central American and Caribbean, Pan American and Olympic Games.
It is true, in all of us we have given ground. But I also consider that Cuba has an enormous talent for providing quality athletes, in some disciplines more than others, but we have them. And it is necessary to take better advantage of and exploit more the benefits of sports practice as a curricular activity, expressed in the Inder-Mined agreement. To rescue the systems of wall games, and pioneer espartaqueadas and the inter-school competitions at the municipal level, just to mention some practically disappeared modeling, visualization and evolution scenarios.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTVcnrLcU-0
Video: Courtesy of TV Guantánamo.
Cali, the future thermometer
The I Junior Pan American Games in Cali served to press the potential of the quarry, especially the one that is called to have a crucial role in the Los Angeles 2028 event, regardless of the 28 tickets secured by our champions for the Pan American Games in Santiago de Chile 2023.
If we delve into what happened in Cali, we find that the range of sports in which we excelled was very similar to that of Tokyo.
Athletics, wrestling, boxing, judo and boating carried the weight of a golden booty to which table tennis and diving were added this time, boosted by two women of considerable potential such as Daniela Fonseca and Anisley García, the first of them with recent Olympic experience in singles and even mixed doubles.
Here the weights also managed to make the cross in the medal box (0-2-1); beach volleyball (0-1-0); and rowing, modern pentathlon, ball, karate and fencing at the rate of one bronze per capita.
Although the spectrum was somewhat broadened, the range of motion and thrust is based on the same disciplines.
Therefore, it remains a pending subject to diversify the development of other specialties, and that this not only happens due to the fact that they have a sample or enrollment in the EIDE, which sometimes seems somewhat symbolic. We are talking about a true development injection.
There are some of those sports that depend on a more expensive infrastructure, such as fencing, the modern pentathlon, and artistic gymnastics itself; swimming, the situation of swimming pools in our country is well known; but weightlifting, for example, which has been displaced on the continent by Colombia, Venezuela, and individuals from Ecuador, the United States and Brazil in the case of men, and the aforementioned countries plus the Dominican Republic among women.
We attended Cali with 212 novice legionaries who participated in 26 of the 39 sports summoned and were awarded a total of 29 gold, 19 silver and 22 bronze, for the fifth position by countries behind Brazil (59-49-55); the Colombian hosts (48-34-63); United States (47-29-38); and Mexico (46-78-48).
If we take into account that initially we did not fight in 190 events of the 311 events held, our delegation exhibited high efficiency indicators, supported by the most powerful sports mentioned above.
2021 says goodbye. Without launching bells on the fly, this is an invitation to reflection, to try to align all the knowledge in order to continue perfecting our sports movement in all its dimensions. I am one of those who believe that there is a lot of room for growth, and that our sport, like culture, also stands as the shield and sword of the nation.
