The Cuban volleyball team secured fifth place in the II Junior Pan American Games In Asunción, Paraguay, defeating Costa Rica 3-0 in a match dominated for its blockade and attack.
On the final day, the Cubans, directed by Norka Latamblet, surpassed Costa Rica with partials of 25-16, 25-13 and 25-12, highlighting in blockade (18-1), attack (32-22) and service (8-3), in addition to capitalizing 17 unintected errors of the rival, Point out A note of the Cuban News Agency.
Lianet Anglada (13 points), Yalain de la Peña (12) and Whitney James (12) led Cuba, while Ivanny Blackwood and Melina Abarca (10 points each) stood out for the ethics. The tournament will conclude with the Dominican Republic and Argentina disputing bronze, and Mexico against Brazil for gold.
Cuba began with a defeat against Argentina, but added victories against Costa Rica and Paraguay.
However, a key defeat against the Dominican Republic moved them away from the medals, although they closed with a triumph over the premises in the consolation phase.
The selection, part of a volleyball tradition with three Olympic titles, seeks to recover its prominence in a competitive context where other Pan American countries have raised their level.
In statements to the sports portal Hitthe head of the Cuban Olympic Committee, Roberto León Richards, said at the beginning of this month that the participation of the island in the continental event acquires a special significance, because “it will allow to evaluate future members of delegations of greater rank, including some calls to attend the Olympic appointment of Los Angeles 2028”.
“The purpose is to offer the response to which our sports movement and the country’s authorities aspire,” he added without specifying a prognosis regarding the position to be occupied in the medal.
Four years ago, when the fair was organized for the first time in the Colombian town of Cali-Valle, Cuba ended in the fifth seat of the ladder by countries, thanks to a harvest of 29 titles, 19 silver and 22 bronze medals.
In the first positions were Brazil, Colombia, the United States and Mexico, in that order.
Then the executives of sport in Cuba valued as “very positive” the performance of their representatives, which they considered as a sample of the “vitality” and the “solidity of the Cuban sports system”, despite the “material deficiencies” derived from the Pandemia of CVID-19 and the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States to the Caribbean nation.
This event has as an added attraction the distribution of direct tickets to the Pan American Games of Lima 2027 for all the champions in disciplines included in the program.
