Cuban Sheyla Hernandez reached this Wednesday the silver medal in the 70 kg division, category J2, as part of the struggles of the Judo World Championship of the International Federation of Sports for the Blind (Ibsa, for its acronym in English) that takes place in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The woman from Holguín, with severe visual impairment, achieved the best location of a Cuban in the appointment so far, according to a report from the specialized site Hit. His compatriot Yordani Fernández did not get a medal because she fell in the discussion for the bronze and thus, the +90 kg Matanzas also from the J2 category, was anchored in fifth position.
Silver for Sheyla Hernández at the Ibsa Judo World Cup in Baku https://t.co/bXFfbpQSj1 pic.twitter.com/0E2TXhtRXq
– EmbaCuba Azerbaijan (@EmbaCubaAGT) November 10, 2022
Hernández became the only representative of the Island in the team tournament of the Championship in Azerbaijan, according to statements by Senén Ramos, head coach of the men’s team, who informed the Cuban News Agency (Acn) that the athlete was chosen to integrate a representative campus of the Ibsa.
Ramos explained that Sheyla Hernández will compete this Thursday against four other parajudokas from the same number of countries, and will face teams from other nations that do have the established number, including Brazil, France and Azerbaijan.
The Paralympic modality is practiced by blind judokas (J1) or with severe visual impairment (J2) and hand-to-hand combat is usually hard, tense and explosive, according to the website of the Spanish Paralympic Committee.
The day before, Yonaldy González, from the 73 kg division for the blind, had fallen in his first fight against the Iraqi representative. A technical error caused him to lose by strangulation, Jit points out. Also blind Jennys Garcia (60kg) had a similar outcome against a representative of the strong Brazilian squad.
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The two-time Paralympic champion, Dalisdaivis Rodríguez, also appeared today. The woman from Santiago, who now competes in the 70 kg division for athletes with severe visual impairment, represents the greatest possibility of a title for the Greater Antilles.
Cubans José Manuel Romero, Dainelis Calunga and Ariagna de la Caridad Hechevarría, who tested positive for COVID-19, did not appear at the intercontinental tournament for people with visual disabilities. These athletes, however, will participate in the Pan American championship of the discipline, specifies Hit.
