Boxing

Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, Cuban first vice president, said on Tuesday that the victory of the Cuba Domadores team at the 4th World Series of Boxing overjoyed their followers and confirmed the island's prestige in the sport.

“Everyone in Cuba is very happy for your victory at this tough event, which lasted more than seven months, and where we competed in conditions never faced before,” the Cuban vice president stated when receiving the returning team at the José Martí International Airport in Havana.

This is an important moment for Cuban boxing, which ratified itself as a solid school that in addition to the success already achieved, has to reach many other horizons, Diaz-Canel said. Greeting the men who defeated 6-5 the host Azerbaijan Baku Fires in the final, the Cuban vice president stressed that discipline and perseverance marked the path of the squad.

On behalf of the athletes, the universal champion Julio Cesar La Cruz thanked the trust placed in them and expressed the team's satisfaction with their performance in Baku.
 

Judo

Media outlets in Georgia and Europe continue to report the Eastern European state's victory in the Judo Grand Prix in Havana, that took place in the Cuban capital over the weekend.

Georgia’s Varlam Liparteliani, one of the most prominent athletes of the event, won the gold medal after outclassing Brazil’s Tiago Camilo in the under 90 kilo category. The world number one overcame an early shido to down his opponent with two consecutive waza-aris.

The bronze medals were won by Russia’s Kirill Voprosov and Beka Gviniashvili, also from Georgia.

US’s Kayla Harrison impressed on her return to the tatami after a one year absence due to a series of injuries.

The Olympic champion beat Audrey Tcheumeo in the under 78 kilo final while Belgium’s Toma Nikiforov reigned supreme in the under 100 kilo class.

The 21-year-old, who was up against Flavio Orlik in the showpiece match, won by ippon after 80 seconds.

Elsewhere, China’s Sisi Ma took heavyweight gold as she edged out Franziska Konitz while Britain’s Chris Sherrington beat local hope Arlendy Morales and Georgia’s Levani Matiashvili with ippons before losing out to Russia’s Lezghian heavy-weight fighter Renat Saidov in the final.

Volleyball

The Cuba's women's volleyball team will face the hosts Mexico today, at the beginning of the XIII Women's Pan American Cup, to be held until June 19th in Mexico City and Pachuca.

The event is a qualifier for the Grand Prix of 2015 and will take place in the Gimnasio Juan de la Barrera and the Polideportivo Carlos Martínez Balmori, which will host teams from 11 countries, divided into two preliminary groups.

According to the website of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean, The Cubans are in Group A, along with Canada, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru and Trinidad and Tobago.

News releases also said that the program of Group A this Wednesday includes matches between the Peruvians and the Canadians; and the Dominicans and the Trinidadians.

In Group B are Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and the United States.

The winners of each group will advance directly to the semifinals, while those finishing in second and third places will pass to the quarterfinals.

Cuba is the country with most titles, with four, won in the tournaments of 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2007, followed by U.S. (2003, 2012, 2013), Brazil (2006, 2009, 2011), Dominican Republic (2008, 2010)

The Americans were crowned in the last two tournaments followed by the Brazilians and the Cubans.

The Cuban team also won the bronze medal in 2003 and the silver in 2006.

Soccer

Meanwhile in news related to the event of the year, the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil, beginning tomorrow, Thursday, June 12, Former Brazilian president, Ignacio Lula da Silva, said his country's team is among the favorites to win. Lula told the French newspaper L'equipe: "A country that organizes the World Cup and has the track record Brazil enjoys, has to be a favorite."

However, the politician, who is 68 years old, warned about "overconfidence" of the team in light of the other contenders for the crown, such as Germany, Spain, Portugal, France and Italy, which are all potential champions.

For the former president, the Brazilian team has lost some style during the evolution of a sport that "has become a money making machine" and favors a very physical game.

"Brazil is no longer the land of the 'beautiful game,'" but discounted opinions that Europeans are more violent or don't know how to haggle.

According to Lula, Argentina, Brazil's historic continental rival, can go far in the World Cup if it reinforces its defense.

"Pay attention to Uruguay, which cannot be neglected because they have two world class players: Luis Suarez and Cavanni.” And Lula da Silva added: “We have to watch these two players very closely.”