Leonor Borrell

Havana, Jan 16 (JIT) - The International Basketball Federation (Fiba) announced the exaltation of Cuban Leonor Borrell to the hall of fame of the sport that recognizes its most outstanding figures in history.

On May 17, her election will be made official, along with that of other stellar former players and a coach. The ceremony will take place in Bahrain, the venue of the Fiba Congress. Borrell will join Ruperto Herrera as the only Cubans recognized with this special distinction.

Precisely Herrera, a member of Fiba's ethics panel and with responsibilities in the Cuban Olympic Committee (COC), described Leonor as “the best Cuban basketball player of all times”, and considered the recognition as fair and deserved.

The 61-year-old former player accumulated an extensive service record with the Cuban team, which she won the 1979 Pan American Games in San Juan when she was only 15 years old.

She stood out in four world championships: she made her debut in Brazil in 1983; she was the top scorer in the 1986 edition of the USSR, scoring 187 points; she won the bronze medal in Malaysia in 1990 and culminated her participation in Australia in 1994.

She also attended two editions of the Olympic Games: Moscow 1980 and Barcelona 1992.

She has been a member of the Cuban national teams since she was 14 years old. She has been a flag-bearer many times, an undisputed leader within the different teams, and a standout for her quality and leadership.

The exaltation recognizes the career of one of the essential players of our national teams in the golden age of basketball in Cuba.