Baseball
Holguin overcame 5x4 to defending champion Villa Clara and kept alive their aspirations for the playoffs at the 53rd National Baseball Series, in which Matanzas, Pinar del Rio and Industriales are already qualified.
Maikel Cáceres and Yordanis Samón led the winning drive, although Norge Luis Ruiz worked 8 innings he could not enjoy the victory but the closer Pablo Millan Fernandez (8-8), while Diosdany Castillo (2-1) suffered the loss.
For their part, with no home runs but with 15 hits, Industriales knocked 17-4 to Island Youth at the Cristobal Labra stadium, with outstanding offensive of Yunielki Lourdes Gourriel with 4 RBIs.
In Matanzas, Pinar del Rio's skilled right-handed pitcher Yosvani Torres worked 6 innings to win his 15th game and defeat the leader Matanzas by 8-4, supported by Giorvis Duvergel's homer and RBI while visitor Artemisa defeated Santiago de Cuba, this time 8-1, with victory for Miguel Lahera (8-5).
With these results, Villa Clara and Holguin are still struggling for the last 4th berth and will play their 2nd clash today Monday; the remaining sets will observe double game.
And speaking of baseball, the traditional Harlem Baseball Tournament 27th edition will only have 4 teams this time, and notably absent of the Cuban team.
"Due to the economic crisis, it was not known if we could finally organize the Baseball Week in Harlem," said the site of the event, scheduled from July 11th to 20th with the participation of Japan, Taipei China, the U.S. and the local Holland.
Cuba, which participated in the last 9 tournaments from 1996 to 2012, getting 3 degrees, 5 second places, and 1 third place, was not called this time by the organizers, even when the Cuban Baseball Federation sent its request to participate on time.
Sotomayor
The Cuban Javier Sotomayor, world record holder in height jump, said in a conference in Madrid that has executed some 1,800 jumps in 300 competitive events, but the one most intensively enjoyed was the 2.40 that gave him the world title in Stuttgart'93, and among his victories prefers the Barcelona'92 Olympic gold medal.
His record in indoor events has just turned 25 years while the one obtained in outdoors will turn 21 years soon, but feels ever closer the day when they shall fall by the ever-growing quality of athletes, trainings and events; however, regarding to world records, the champ considers the more difficult to beat is the youth world record of 2.33, with 16 years of prevalence.
Finally, the star athlete proudly claimed to be "the athlete of the Revolution," since all Cuba's sport records are but a product of the Revolution and its sports system, even with the lack of so much and for being a small island, whose results stand out among the best in America and internationally.
Chess
A win and a draw placed the Cuban GM Maritza Arribas in 8th place at the Continental Chess Tournament for women based in Villa Marteli, Argentina.
National multi-champion of Cuba won the 1st round to Argentina Maisa Nejanky, but then made tables facing the Peruvian FM Paula Paredes.
The lid is headed by Argentinean IM Carolina Lujan, with perfect performance of 2-2, followed by her compatriot Ayelén Martínez, Venezuelan Sarai Sánchez and Peruvian Ann Chumpitaz.
A total of 26 players under the Swiss system of 9 rounds are opting for the only berth in dispute for the next World Championship, to which Cuba has 1 quota managed by GM Yaniet Marrero who won last Zonal tournament with 2.3 points.
