Awards to relevant taekwondo events in an atypical 2021, marked by initiatives to alleviate the difficult situation created by the COVID-19 pandemic, were presented on Friday at the Cuban Taekwondo Gala.

Havana, May 2 (RHC) - The two Cubans qualified in taekwondo for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Rafael Alba and Arlettys de la Caridad Acosta, compete this Thursday in the Pan American Championship of that sport in Rio de Janeiro 2024 , with category G4.

Rafael Alba is a double world champion and Olympic bronze medalist in Tokyo 2020, and Arlettys is a double queen of the Central Caribbean games (Barranquilla 2018 and San Salvador 2023) and bronze medalist at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.

Alba and Arlettys recently won their Olympic tickets in the Dominican Republic.

The Rio tournament is the second most important of the year because it is the G4 category and grants 40 points to the winner for the World Taekwondo ranking, informed the digital newspaper Jit Iván Fernández, president of the Cuban taekwondo federation.

"Alba will compete on this occasion in more than 87 kg and Acosta in 73 kg," said the also national commissioner, who will serve in Rio as events officer of the continental entity.

Once the Rio event is over, there will be an open with G1 category in the same Rio city, although the attendance of Cubans is not defined.