Badminton

Havana, Mar 13 (JIT) - Guatemalan Kevin Cordon, fourth at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, is the star of the Giraldilla International Badminton Tournament of Havana 2025, which began with three qualifying matches for men at the Ciudad Deportiva Coliseum.

Cordon, who in 2009 won silver in singles in this traditional competition, has an enviable track record, especially the consecutive presence in five summer events: from Beijing 2008 to Paris 2024.

This Thursday, the exceptional 38-year-old left-handed player will be one of the first to take to the courts located in the capital city, where there will be action in the modalities of singles and doubles in both sexes, and mixed.

Along with the Cubans, representatives from Canada, the United States, Mexico, Venezuela, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Malta, Germany, England, the Dominican Republic, Italy, Guyana, Kazakhstan, and France will be competing.

The discussion of the titles is scheduled for Sunday and as an added attraction will reappear the main local player, Taymara Oropesa, who became a mother a little more than three months ago.

The 29-year-old Holguin native, the first Cuban in this sport to win a medal in the Pan American Games by taking bronze in Santiago 2023, will defend her status as last year's individual champion.

Completing the national team are Roberto Carlos Herrera, Juan Carlos Bencomo, Leandro Gil, Leyanis Contreras, and Alina Sanz, who are preparing for the II Junior Pan American Games of Asuncion 2025, where Cuba has secured a place in each gender.

In addition, 14 other invited athletes will compete because of what they represent for the future of this sport, with the Central American and Caribbean Games of Santo Domingo 2026 in sight.