New Group of Cuban Athletes Role in Veracruz Games Highlighted
Cuban First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel stressed that the triumph of Cuba in the Central American and Caribbean Games shows there is a new group of athletes ready to give new victories to their homeland.
According to local Granma newspaper, Díaz-Canel spoke before the last group of Cuban athletes who returned from Veracruz, in a simple ceremony presided over by Cuban President Raul Castro, José Ramón Fernández, head of the Cuban Olympic Committee, and other figures, who went to José Martí International Airport in the capital, to welcome the group.
Coinciding with the celebrations for the 58th anniversary of the Granma landing at Las Coloradas Beach, the top leadership of the country received the athletes on behalf of the people, who enjoyed everyday the competitions until late at night, the Cuban newspaper reports.
“Our people welcome you with affection, respect and admiration. With the victory in these Games our country again reaches the highest peak of Olympus in the region,” said the first vice president of the Councils of State and Ministers, quoted by the newspaper.
He also said the sports movement will immediately begin analyzing the experiences of these games and will start preparations for future challenges and commitments and in particular for the next Pan-American Games, in Toronto.
The largest island in the Caribbean was proclaimed Monarch of the XXII Central American and Caribbean Games with a balance of 123 gold, 66 silver and 65 bronze medals followed by Mexico (115-106-111) and Colombia (70-75-78).
Swimming
Led by the Central American and Caribbean 100 meters freestyle champion, Hanser Garcia, 3 Cubans compete from this Wednesday at the 12th Annual FINA World Short Course Championships 2014, based in Doha, Qatar.
Hanser is presented as the Cuban main trump card in a group that is complemented with the other Cuban medalists in Veracruz, Armando Barrera in backstroke style, and Elisbeth Gámez in freestyle, Cuban television said.
After returning from Veracruz, the 3 athletes remained training looking to get their best shape to attend the world cap, in which Hanser already achieved to be finalist 2 years ago in Istanbul to enter 7th while implemented a national mark of 47.19 in this category. According to the schedule of the fair, the Central-American monarch and Pan-American silver medal will swim this Thursday, December 4th in the 50 meter freestyle, while in the hectometer, his strongest event, will be held on Saturday, the 6th.
Badminton
Osleni Guerrero will defend his title at the International Badminton Tournament in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, beginning tomorrow Thursday, December 4th.
Seeded number one, Guerrero debuts in the 2nd round and seeks his classification to the quarter-finals against the Dominican Alberto Raposo, according to Cuban television.
If he wins, the Cuban will face in the round of the top 8 the winner between hosts Edinvert Bienvenido Sanchez and Therry Aquino, while the Austrian David Obernosterer, 2nd seeded, competes in the closing day.
The Brazilian Alex Yuwan Tjong and Slovak Jarochim Vicen appear as 3rd and 4th favorites of this prestigious Dominican regional event.
Pelé -- Lucid and with Improved Health, Say Brazilian Doctors
Former Brazilian soccer star Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Pele) is stable and lucid and do not need to undergo hemodialysis treatments anymore, revealed today the latest medical bulletin Albert Einstein Hospital.
Despite his improvement, Pele will stay admitted to the ICU, said the medical report.
The patient received intravenous antibiotics, no fever and continues to undergo clinical and laboratory evaluations in order to assess their recovery, says the newsletter.
Admitted since November 24th with a urinary infection, Pele began to recover after being hospitalized Thursday night in the ICU and received a new treatment.
The World Champion for Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970 was operated on November 13th to extract some kidney stones, urethral and vesicular, but shortly afterwards, he was diagnosed with an infection caused by bacteria, for which he was hospitalized again.
Triple Jumper Ibargüen Leads Prensa Latina's Annual Sports Survey
Colombian athlete Caterine Ibargüen leads Prensa Latina's annual sports survey to select the best athletes in 2014, after receiving the support today of four Latin American media outlets. In the category of Sportswoman of the Year, Ibargüen received the support of the Chilean journal Crónica Digital, Bolivian journal Canal Abya Yala and weekly journal La Época and Ecuadorian news agency Andes.
Ibargüen mastered the triple jump along 2014 and won the Diamond League competition in Monaco, with six victories in six presentations.
She also set a new record in Monaco with a 15.31 meter-jump, becoming the fifth best registered in History and the best jump in the last six years.
The Colombian triple jumper , who is at the top of the world ranking, ended the season after winning the 2nd edition of the Continental Cup in Marrakesh, Morocco, with 14,52 meter- jump. The poll's first edition was in 1964. All media outlets worldwide can participate and votes can be received through the e-mail address –- deportes@prensa-latina.cu.
