Baseball

Matanzas continues to lead the standings to 24 days to complete the stage prior to the post season of the current Cuban Baseball Championship.

The leader fell to Artemisa yesterday by a score of 3x2 while its follower, Granma, beat Industriales by 10x9, and the difference between them now is just 2 wins, 1 more than when the Tournament was retaken after the break for the Caribbean Series.

Matanzas could not sweep Artemisa during the weekend and were dominated by the excellent combined pitching of Yulieski González, Luis Estrada and Jose Angel Garcia, where the first one only allowed 1 clean in 5 innings, the rookie Estrada struck out 3 in 2 and a half chapters to settled down the triumph while García got the last 4 outs to earn his 16th rescue of the Season and the 182nd of his career to lead that department in Cuban baseball.

For its part, Granma took the batting offensive of Yulexis La Rosa and Urmani Guerra, plus Juan Ramón Olivera's and Ciro Silvino Licea's excellent relays, to closely overcome 10x9 to Industriales while avoiding the sweep.

La Rosa hit 1 homer and drove in 3, Guerra gave 2 homers and drove in 3, while Olivera triumphed with 3 and 2/3 of chapters, and pitcher Licea forced Yunieski Gourriel to connect for double play in the 9th.

These results left Matanzas on top of the Table with 41-22 followed by Granma (39-24) and Industriales (37-26).

In the 4th position appear tied Ciego de Ávila, Pinar del Rio and Isla de la Juventud with 34-29, and closes Artemisa (32-31) and Holguin (29-34).

Avilanians connected 17 hits and took advantage in 5 innings of the 2 hits connected by Yunier Canoto to finally defeat 10x5 to Pinar del Rio.

Finally, the island was knocked out 12x1 in 7 entries by Holguín in homers offensive led by Maikel Cáceres, Reutilio Hurtado and Eriel Sánchez, who combined 8 RBIs and 7 runs scored.

This Monday is a rest day for the classic that resumes on Tuesday with the Matanzas-Ciego de Avila, Granma-Holguin, Pinar del Río-Artemisa and Isla de la Juventud-Industriales duels.

Wrestling

The triple world medalist, Reinieris Salas, closed as champion in the 86 kilos and gave Cuba the only gold medal at the 46th Granma-Cerro Pelado International Wrestling Tournament, played in Havana by fighters from 16 countries, in which the States won 2 titles on the final day and closed as winner over Cuba in a hard-fought event with a total of 22 medals (10-3-9), while Cuba filed 27 (9-9-9), but with 1 medal gold less.

However, Cuba largely dominated the Greco-Roman style (7-5-4), despite the absence, for injury, of its Olympic and world star, Mijaín Lopez, while Cuban women behaved as expected with 1-1-1.

Finally, Ecuador excelled among Latin-American nations with 3 silver and 1 bronze medals. According to experts, this 46th edition was one of the best in recent years for its quality and international participation.

Chess

The logic was confirmed on Sunday when the local GM, Holguin's representative, Isam Ortiz, enjoyed his 3rd consecutive reign in the National Chess Championship and tied a feat only achieved before by the emblematic Eleazar Jiménez.

Isam Ortiz totaled 9.5 points in 13 rounds against 14 contestants gathered at the House of UNEAC in Santa Clara province, event where also shone local talents such as Omar Almeida (HAB), FIDE Master (FM) Ermes Espinosa (VCL), the GM Yuniesky Quesada (VCL), IM Camilo Gomez (HOL), the IM Alexei Fernández (HAB) and his counterpart Roberto García (HAB), the GM Yusnel Bacallao (MTZ), and IM Carlos Hevia (HAB), said the International Referee José Luis Ramírez to JIT sports.

The Table was finally closed by GM Aramis Alvarez (VCL), GM Gomez Ledo and FM Michel Alejandro Diaz (LTU).

Isam, also monarch in 2013 and 2014, is now the airy 2nd winner in 3 domestic lids after the IM Eleazar Jimenez, who won it in 1960, 1963 and 1965, when the frequency was not annual.

Cycling

Sancti Spiritus' representative, Joel Solenzal, ousted Artemisa's José Mojica from 1st place in the individual standings at the Guantánamo-Havana Cycling Classic to finish its 5th stage from Holguin Camagüey provinces.

Thus, to overcome the grueling 203 km. trial, Solenzal is 37 sec. behind the new pointer.

The stage was won by Guantanamo's Onel Santa Clara in 4:38.34 hours, followed with a similar time trial by Yasmani Estupiñán from Matanzas, and then the Artemisa's figure, Eduardo Acosta, with a goal at the Casino Campestre Park in the Central Highway.

The sprint line in the city of Las Tunas, 79 km. from the start in Holguin, was won by Artemisa's Felix Nodarse, while the 6th stage, covering 113 km. between this city and Ciego de Avila, will be run this Monday.

With over 80 riders in 14 provincial teams --but Mayabeque--, the tour began on day 11th with a circuit in the city of Guantanamo to conclude the coming 22nd at Havana's Paseo del Prado.

Boxing

Cuba's Domadores won 4-1 Mexico's Guerreros in the 5th World Series of Boxing held at the Olympic Gymnasium in Aguascalientes, north of Mexico City, highlights media today.

Cuba achieved its 1st win over Mexico in this series because Daniel Paniagua showed overweight but Erislandy Savon did not get into the ring in the 91 kilograms; however, local Joselito Velásquez defeated novel Johanys Argilagos (49 kilograms) in the 1st fight giving a point to Mexico, while the other victorious Cubans were Andy Cruz, Yasnier Toledo and Arlen López, who excelled against their rivals.

Cuba remained unbeaten for 5 weeks and shows 15 points, with 24 victories and the only failure of Argilagos, while it was announced that their next presentation will be this coming Friday at the Havana's Sport City Coliseum against the British Lionheart team.