The contracts of Cuban athletes abroad have become a balm since the Inder implemented that policy in September 2013.
It has thrown many positive questions, the essence of which is to raise the levels of individual preparation of our athletes, temper them to competitive scenarios of a much higher rigor than that exhibited by our domestic competitions, and constitute a source of additional income both in the individual order as for the governing body of Cuban sports.
As the years have passed, this policy has been refined, gaining in strength according to the specificities of each of the sports in question, and as the Antillean talent has been shown in other quality showcases; this recognizing that there are certainly many perfectible issues and some questions that we will share along the way.
Despite Covid-19 in 2021, an unprecedented year
Thus we end in this year 2021, an unprecedented year in terms of contracts signed in different ways, among which stand out direct signature with clubs, agreement between national federations, and letters of intent.
Modalities that, according to data provided by the top management of Inder, left a record number of 125 athletes hired in that period, through the federations of eight disciplines, through which the individual assessment and evaluation of each process is also produced .
In more detail, the fact that volleyball (38) and baseball (37) emerged as the sports with the greatest number of troops inserted in foreign leagues; to which were added basketball (12), softball (11), handball (10) and soccer (10). Water polo (6) and cycling (1) complete the list.
Regarding gender, a total of 41 women and 84 men signed agreements with clubs in 25 countries, including Mexico (20), Italy (16), Spain (15), France (13) and Portugal (8).
Inder authorities added that for various reasons, including the impact of the coronavirus, the impact of the economic blockade imposed by the United States Government, injuries and indiscipline, a dozen of these agreements were not finalized.
A look at 2020 shows that the total number of recruits that year was 78 athletes, belonging to nine disciplines and in 22 nations, which gives the measure of considerable growth despite the limitations.
The multifactorial gaze
There are issues that arise from this growing contractual scenario: an indisputable one is the growth experienced by our athletes in clubs. Suffice it to mention Miguel Ángel López, Marlon Yant, Roammy Alonso, and company, Arlenis Sierra, Jasiel Rivero and Yoanki Mensía, just to mention some of the most well-known examples.
The second is that it considerably broadens the possible development ceiling of those involved, raises their levels of professionalism and grants them economic advantages to a greater or lesser extent, in line with the type of agreement agreed upon.
Another positive variable is found in the possibility of transferring the experiences acquired in the different league environments to the national teams, in the case of team disciplines, broadening the vision of the game, incorporating new criteria; and in the individual ones to patent all that accumulated balance at the time of facing international conflicts.
Not to mention that much of that experience and individual knowledge can also be transferred to the quarry or relay, and raise motivational levels, as well as desires for improvement among the remaining members of domestic preselections.
Now, on the other side of the scale, we must also put some non-negligible questions: the first is that, despite the adverse scenario imposed by the capricious Sars-Cov-2 virus, the departure of the main figures in each one of the disciplines further limits the national competitive system, which being objective is quite deteriorated.
Except for the National Baseball Series, setting aside quality issues related to the roof of our ball today; no other tournament in the courtyard in terms of team sports enjoys a solid qualitative endorsement, not even basketball and soccer, the other two scheduled with medium rigor.
Volleyball, handball, water polo, hochey, softball, generally cover a tight schedule, with few games and more hardships than glories. And we are aware that the variable economy seems like an additional enemy.
However, boxing, wrestling and athletics fundamentally, have managed to maintain their national competitions with greater notoriety, and have maintained that fidelity to the pyramidal structure to a greater or lesser extent from the lower categories, an issue in which, from my modest criterion, judo and taekwondo have lost ground.
Another issue is the fact of the concentration of sports in contractual matters.
It is surprising to see how the fight, which had such good dividends in the German Bundesliga, currently lacks any contract; or as the two sports with the most medals in Multiple Games, such as athletics and swimming, they do not have any representative covered by hiring policies; nor is artistic gymnastics, another monster, which has once again fallen into decline.
It is time to review each of these specialties and see how an opening is patented that allows the insertion of talent in those contexts.
Cuba needs to have prestigious leagues, at least at the regional level, as Brazil and Argentina do, seek sponsorship mechanisms with a sports brand, without being overwhelmed or consumed by commercialization, rescue a series of competitions that we used to organize at the regional level. such as rallies of the NACAC circuit in the field and track, the famous CCCAN in the case of swimming, and to maintain the International Granma-Cerro Pelado of struggles, the Grand Prix of judo of Havana, and any other fair aspiring to qualitatively superior levels. of a similar nature that we can organize.
Well thought out and planned openness must occur in all possible disciplines. Without neglecting or abandoning our spine and starting point: the home development environments.
To shine is the aspiration of every athlete, to prove themselves at the highest level, but if the take off of that shine does not begin at home, we will lose a good part of the battle.
Even in some cases, as part of the rubric, or prior to it, when the clubs express their initial interest in a specific athlete, it would be feasible, if appropriate, to let the athlete perform for a year or part of the season here. , and then go off to prove yourself to that other level.
Some ideas friends. A year begins and the journey through this cycle that culminates in Paris 2024 is accelerated. Together we can make this policy, I reiterate positive, a perfectible weapon based on the development of our sports movement.
