Baloncesto

Havana, Nov. 11 (JIT) - The sixth place achieved by Cuba in the FIBA Women's Central Basketball Championship Irapuato 2024 was far from the announced goal.

After the loss to El Salvador, which left the Cuban team without a place in the AmeriCup 2025 and unable to climb the podium, there was still the clash for the fifth place as a consolation prize.

However, the game against the U.S. Virgin Islands resulted in a painful 75-80 defeat.

The three consecutive defeats of the team coached by Márgaro Pedroso demand an analysis of the current situation of this discipline on the island.

The sensitive absence of star player Isabella Jourdain, perhaps the best player in the squad, and the inexperienced roster assembled for the event must be considered. 

The change in the squad for various reasons dulled the game, so much so that a young player with little prominence to date, turned out to be one of the best players for Cuba.

This was María Montero, who despite her inexperience had to take a leading role and stay as many minutes as possible on the court. 

Another player who had to redouble her efforts, Anisleidy Galindo from Pinar del Rio, does not have the youth of the first one. In addition to them, Rachel Contreras stood out. 

To a different extent, the rest of the team did not achieve the contribution demanded by the circumstances and this caused a performance far from what was desired and from the third place obtained in the previous edition.

Looking at the adverse results and the exercise during the matches, it was not difficult to notice the lack of experience of the tricolor team. That, and probably the physical shape, took their toll on the team. 

The year 2025 will begin for them with the absence of a tournament that perhaps was in the plans of most of the experts.

In such a context, the Cuban federation of that sport must reorient its work, so that the absence of the game does not hinder the possibilities of growth of a group with proven talent, but that must still throw many more balls to the hoop. Hopefully with better luck.