Havana, September 14 (RHC)-- The Minister of Sports and Youth of the Republic of Mali, Housseini Amion Guindo, is paying an official visit to Cuba at the invitation of the National Sports, Physical Education and Recreation Institute, INDER.

The African official was welcomed at Havana's Jose Marti International Airport by the Cuban Sports Minister Antonio Eduardo Becali.

Amion Guindo said that his visit is aimed at strengthening bilateral sports relations and expressed interest in bringing Mali's cadet soccer team to the island in early October for their last training stage prior to the World Soccer Cup to take place in Chile.

Meanwhile, the Cuban official ratified his country's willingness to keep supporting Mali and other African nations in all areas of sports. He recalled that 22 students from Mali graduated in Cuba, with 17 of them from the International Sports School.

The African official will hold working meetings with authorities from the Cuban Sports Institute and will tour centers and schools during his visit, which concludes on Friday.