World champion Andy Granda heads the 10 judoists from Cuba who will participate from this Friday until next Sunday in the Grand Slam in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, a competition that will bring together 364 athletes from 49 countries.

Havana, March 2 (RHC)-- World champion Andy Granda heads the 10 judoists from Cuba who will participate from this Friday until next Sunday in the Grand Slam in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, a competition that will bring together 364 athletes from 49 countries.

Julio Alderete and Yordanis Arencibia, head coaches of the men's and women's teams, respectively, confirmed today from the headquarters to the Cuban News Agency the presence of Granda, in over 100 kilograms (kg), and Maylín del Toro (63 kg).

Alderete also advanced Magdiel Estrada (73 kg), Ivan Silva (90 kg), Liester Cardona (100 kg) and Omar Cruz (100 kg), while Arencibia completed his selection with Zamarit Gregorio Vasconsuelo (48 kg), Yurisleidy Hernandez (52 kg), Arnaes Odelin (57 kg) and Idelennis Gomez (70 kg).

For Granda, it will be his debut this year and on the same stage -Taskent- where he won the world gold medal in 2022, while del Toro will have the opportunity to increase the bronze booty achieved in the Grand Slam of Paris and Tel Aviv, in that order.

Silva and Estrada will try to improve on the fifth places -they discussed bronze- achieved in the Israeli city, where the now absent Olympic (1-2-1) and world (2-2-4) multi medalist, Idalis Ortiz (+78 kg) was in seventh place, after not being able to continue competing due to a dislocated right elbow injury, from which she is recovering.

The disciples of Arencibia (13) and Alderete (14) are in training bases -three months- in France and Hungary, in that order, which facilitate further preparation and compete in top-level tournaments, which distribute points for the world and Olympic rankings for Paris 2024.

According to the International Federation's website www.ijf.org, the organizers expect so far the attendance of 191 men and 173 women.

The announced program, pending approval at the technical meeting of the tournament, reports that on Friday will compete in the 48, 52 and 57 kg (f) and 60 and 66 kg (m), while on Saturday will be in action in the 63 and 70 kg (f) and in the 73 and 81 kg (m).

For Sunday's closing, the actions will be completed with the 78 and over 78 kg (f), and the 90, 100 and over 100 kg (m).