Baseball
The team Los Vegueros from Pinar del Rio represent Cuba today against the Mexico's Los Tomateros of Culiacan, in the 1st game of the Caribbean Baseball Series, based in the Puerto Rican city of San Juan.
Cuban mentor, Alfonso Urquiola, announced as a starter in this important meeting the stellar and skillful right-hander Freddy Asiel Alvarez, who played with Villa Clara's Los Naranjas in last year's Caribbean derby, held on Margarita Island, Venezuela, in early 2014.
Alvarez highlights in the current Cuban National Series with excellent 1.63 ERA, product of just 15 earned runs in 82.2 innings and 61 strikeouts while opponents are hitting him for a 226 anemic batting average.
By Mexico's Los Tomateros de Culiacán will pitch the American left-hander Anthony Vásquez, chosen MVP in the recent end of the Mexican Pacific League, starring in 2 of the 4 wins against the Charros de Jalisco.
The Cuban debut will be at the Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, where later the official opening of the tournament will be held, with a game between Venezuela's Caribes de Anzoátegui and local Cangrejeros de Santurce teams.
Pinar del Río's Los Vegueros represent Cuba in its 2nd and consecutive Caribbean Series Baseball, again as guest country, to delete the pale performance of last year's edition of Isla de Margarita.
According to the calendar, Alfonso Urquiola's disciples will face from February 3rd-5th the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Venezuela --in that order-- looking for a ticket to the Semifinals of the 7th day.
Wrestling
Four fighters of Freestyle and 2 from Greco-Roman styles appear as the only Cubans located in the ranking of the Universal World Wrestling (UWW).
The best located is the star Mijaín Lopez who comfortably leads the division of 130 kilos of classic style.
In the Greco-Roman style the other Cuban with points is the novel Ismael Borrero in 59 kilos, gold in Veracruz'14, closing at the 7th.
For his part, in the Freestyle, Reineris Salas is placed 2nd at 86 kg, just behind the champion in the World Cup final in Taskent'14, Russian Abdulrashid Sadulaev. Also, Yowlys Bonne, bronze in Taskent'14 and multi-medalist and 3rd in Londres'12, Liván López, anchored 4th in 61 and 74 kg, respectively. Finally, Javier Cortina, is 5th in the 97 kilos.
Triathlon
A selection of 3 Cuban athletes train in the Puerto Rican city of Punta Guilarte, venue of the next Pan-American Triathlon Cup, in which 32 competitors from 12 countries have confirmed their participation, a Fair that will offer the winners, both male and female, one direct place for Toronto 2015.
For Cuba, whose athletes arrived last Monday to the Puerto Rican region of Arroyo, intervenes Michel González, principal figure, while women are Leslie Amat and Lisandra Hernández, bronze in Veracruz-2014, reflected the website of the International Union of the discipline.
In addition to the 3 Cuban representatives, the other teams with the highest number of entries so far registered are the Americans with 9 locals with 5, and Guatemala with 4, while Costa Rica and Colombia will have 2.
The Puerto Rican cap will have an Olympic travel fair of 1500 meter swim, 40 km. cycling, and 10 km running, and will grant both continental ranking points for Toronto 2015, next July, and the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro 2016.
Among the main rivals of Cubans stand out Costa Rican Leonardo Chacón, Americans Sean Jefferson and Alex Libin, Brazilian Bruno Matheus, Guatemalan Gerardo Vergara, local Edgardo Velez, and Irish Bryan Keane, number 57th of the world ranking and winner at the recently Ibero-american Run staged in Havana.
Meanwhile, Cuban ladies will have a strong opposition from the northern Erin Jones, Taylor Spivey and Nicole Truxes, Guatemalan twins Daniela and Barbara Schoenfeld, host sisters Melissa and Militza Rios, and the Spanish Tamara González, 3rd place in the recent Havana's Fair.
Alejandro Puerto, national commissioner, told local ACN news agency that Cuba will also attend the stop of the Pan-American Cup and the Central American and Caribbean Championship to be held in Barranquilla, Colombia, 22nd of the coming month, with 2 females and 2 males, where Cuba also be will represented by the triathlete Conrado Martínez.
