MADRID, Spain.- The Cuban authorities are working on a measure to further control athletes who compete abroad. This was clearly stated by the president of the Cuban Federation and National Soccer Commissioner, Oliet Rodríguez.
“Within the international regulations, in which the Cuban Federation is attached as a member of the International Amateur Football Federation (FIFA), there is a convention that has been modifying the FIFA statutes and will allow us, as soon as we can implement it, to control better to our athletes anywhere in the world”, advertisement Rodriguez.
In addition, this initiative, which he described as “innovative”, “will allow, in the future, to obtain economic benefits through the training rights of athletes, in the cases of contracts in professional clubs where a player trained in Cuba is inserted”.
According to the manager, soccer is one of the sports most affected by desertions, since other disciplines have numerous casualties in their ranks, but they do not abandon the delegation in full competition as is the case with this discipline that has several events in the United States.
However, the measure, “which will favor control” of athletes, will be extended to other sports.
This experience “can be multiplied to other disciplines to counteract the main difficulty that exists in this sector, immigration and desertions,” he said.
According to his explanation, given during a recent visit to the Pedro Díaz Coello Sports Initiation School (EIDE) in Holguín, “the initiative allows all athletes to be registered in an automated FIFA system, in all categories, procedure that would limit the access of Cuban players in other countries illegally, either in national teams or in clubs.
In addition to the economic crisis and the few options for professional development on the Island, one of the causes that most leads athletes to emigrate is the tight control exercised over them.
Exodus of Cuban athletes
During 2022, more than 100 athletes left Cuba, including active, retired and coaches.
Emigration occurred both through the abandonment of delegations in international competitions or training bases, the non-return to the country at the end of contracts or by legal departures to nations such as Nicaragua, with the aim of following the Central American migratory route until reaching the United States.
Among these athletes were the experienced pitchers Yosimar Cousín and Yunior Tur, who just started in 2022 emigrated to the Dominican Republic; the Olympic boxing champion in Tokyo 2020, Andy Cruz; the Olympic champion of Greco-Roman wrestling (59 kg) in Rio 2016, Ismael Borrero; Fernando Dayan Jorge, Olympic canoeing champion in Tokyo 2020; the javelin player Yiselena Ballar and the discus thrower Yaimé Pérez; both left the national delegation with which they traveled to the United States last July to participate in the Eugene 2022 World Athletics Championships.
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