The New York Cosmos Team Will Play in Havana
Football fans will enjoy the first week of June the arrival of New York Cosmos team to Havana. The club where plays the recognized Raul Gonzalez, former player of Real Madrid, will play a friendly against the national team of Cuba, as reported The New York Times.
Cosmos's visit is the first by a professional team after the announcement of the restoration of diplomatic relations between the US and Cuba. After several attempts to confirm with the New York club the presence of Raúl González among the players that will be presented in Havana, this newspaper has only succeeded in response that "make a statement in due time."
According to the American newspaper The match is scheduled to take place on June 2nd, although Cuban official sites erroneously claimed that occur on April 2nd. Still, there has been no official announcement from the directors of the Cosmos. The Cuban national team, meanwhile, will take the opportunity to prepare for the Gold Cup.
The Cosmos team also plays the Spanish-Brazilian Marcos Senna, although its most recognizable star of all time was the legend Pelé, who spent his last 3 seasons with the New Yorkers.
The news has sparked comments football fans in Cuba, who in the last hours lectured on the topic in social networks and on the Facebook webpage of the Football Association of Cuba (AFC). Among the views over repeated by the followers of the sport was the urgent need to repair the Pedro Marrero Stadium turf before the American players land on the island.
Weightlifting
For Cuban athletes started the Manuel Suárez Inmemorian 34th International Weightlifting Tournament, in Cienfuegos city, it will be a stage while a gauge of preparation towards the Pan-American Games in Toronto, Canada, to be held from July 10th to 26th.
This was recognized by Jorge Luis Barcelán, national commissioner of the sport, who also told reporters that it is not expected that the main Creole weightlifters occupy top rankings on the podium of the contest, for there are yet 4 months of training with a view to the Canadian fair.
Cuba will attend with 14 men and 8 women such as the stars Yoelmis Hernandez, 85 kilos, 3 times world medalist in clean and jerk as well as Javier Vanega (94 kg), Alejandro Cisnero (105), Alberto Pupo (+105), Victor Quiñones (94), Adriel La O and Jordanis Espinosa (both in 77 kg), while among women stand out Niulis González (53 kg), Saily Valdespino (58), María Rodríguez (63) and Marina Almaguer (69).
According to the latest information given to the press by the Provincial Directorate of Sports in Cienfuegos, main organizer of the tournament, more than 80 athletes from 12 countries are already confirmed: United States, Brazil, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Aruba, Chile, Uruguay, El Salvador, Honduras and Ecuador.
The initial technical meeting shall be at Pasacaballos hotel today while the official opening is scheduled in the afternoon, followed by the discussion of medals in the 48 and 53 kg divisions for females and 56 for males.
All competitions will take place in the evening hours, including a scientific conference program on Friday 13th. The closing ceremony will be on Saturday 14th at 6:30 pm. and the main stage will be the Guernica Sports Room, located in a central area of the so-called Pearl of the South city.
Handball
The Cuban handball team, female branch, defeated its Mexican counterpart 29-19 and reached 4 wins and no defeats in the North-Caribbean Tournament that takes place in Puerto Rico.
The 2014 Veracruz champions again had offensive pillar Gleinys Reyes, author of 11 goals, seconded by Eyatne Rizo, who had 9 and almost doubled the 5 of Lisandra Lussón 3rd contributor to the Cuban victory.
This Saturday Cuba must close the preliminary round undefeated successfully over Greenland on a date to be completed with the US-Martinique and Mexico-Puerto Rico duels. A day after, the first 2 will fight for the gold while the 3rd and 4th places will look for the bronze medals; the rest will fight for the 5th place.
