Judo: Cubans to participate in individual and mixed team tournament in Cali 2021

Havana, November 22 (RHC)-- Six Cuban judo players will compete in the individual and mixed team tournaments of the First Pan American Youth Games of Cali-Valle 2021, a multi-sport event to be held from November 25 to December 5.

The participation in the team event was made official on Saturday in Colombia, where the Cuban delegation registered 212 athletes in 90 events.

Until that moment, it was only planned to go up to the tatamis in the individual with Thailen Castillo, in the 57 kilograms (kg), Idelannis Gomez (70 kg), Thalia Nariño (+78 kg), Kimi Bravo (66 (kg), Serguei Rodriguez (90 kg) and Ray Keny Diaz (+100 kg).

Previously, the National Federation of this martial art and the Cuban Olympic Committee made arrangements to receive invitations for the representatives of the 63 and 78 kg (f) and 73 and 100 kg (m) divisions, all under the direction of Andres Franco and Felix Portuondo (f) and Gustavo Cepero and Buanis Chang (m).

In this regard, Rafael Manso, also national judo commissioner, explained at that time -October- to ACN that if this second application is approved, the four coaches will decide who will be selected to attend the Games.

What is certain is that it was also possible to compete in the mixed team judo, which summons six divisions, those of 57, 63 and over 70 kilos (f), and those of 73, 90 and over 90 kilos (m), and Cuba can meet this requirement.

The judo tournament of the youth continental event will feature 112 athletes, with stage at the Yuri Alvear coliseum, located in the municipality of Jamundi, where Alvear was born, an outstanding 70 kg judoka who boasts among her main results the silver medal at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games and three world titles.