Basketball

Experienced Orestes Torres, Yoan Luis Haití, and Lisbán Valdéz head men's basketball team of Cuba to participate at the Caribbean Basketball Tournament from July 1st to 5th in the British Virgin Islands.

The selected 12 players that will be directed by Daniel Scott, is the same who participated in a training tour in China last May, “...and although it is a tough competition, our goal is to qualify for the Centrobasket Tournament in Mexico next August,” said the experienced Cuban coach to Radio Rebelde radio station.

The fair, to be held in the city of Tortola, will feature 8 teams divided into 2 groups: For the A, are St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, and Cuba, while the B will cope Barbados, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guyana and the local British Virgin Islands.

It will be played by the All Against All system and advance to the semifinals the first 2 of each group to play crosswise where the winners qualify for the finals and ensure the ticket to the Centobasket, while the losers will battle for the bronze and last berth to the regional meet.

Cuba will debut to Antigua and Barbuda on July 1st at 2:15 pm, a day after will clash with San Vicente and closes the knockout stage on July 3rd to Bahamas. Finally, the semifinals to discuss the medals will be played on Friday, July 4th and Saturday, the 5th.

Boxing

Los Gladiadores of Pinar del Rio won the I National Series of Boxing, a day full of suspense by beating by points, 80, but gave in 1-3 against Los Guerreros del Mayor of Camaguey, where Los Guerrilleros del Guaso of Guantanamo closed in 3rd place.

Also shone the pen weight and Olympic champion Robeisy Ramirez, who gave technical knockout in 2nd round to Jorge Luis Cordero, the medium Hugo Noriega, the cruise Yoandris Baró, the fly Yosbany Veitía, light Iván Oñate, welterweight and world runner-up Arisnoidys Despaigne, heavyweight Reinier Herrara, and super-heavyweight José Ángel Larduet; young Henry Ruiz gave the best fight.

Also about boxing, we knew that Julio Cesar La Cruz, division 81 kilograms, was elected Camagüey's Top Athlete in June, having won gold with the national team Los Domadores at the recently concluded IV World Series of Boxing held in Azerbaijan.

The award was a unanimous vote within the local branch of the Circle of Sports Journalists of Camagüey.

The above-mentioned sport survey also gave awards to Yasniel Toledo (boxing), Oscar Braisón (judo), Yordán O'Farrill (athletics), Luis Daniel Torres (chess), and Rose Mary Almanza (athletics).

Athletics

Representatives of Cuba, Puerto Rico, United States, Haiti and Dominican Republic will participate this weekend in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, at the International Cup in Athletics, reported local media today.

The competition, organized by the local federation of the discipline and to strengthen the competitive level of the participants, will be hosted at the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center.

According to organizers, there will be competitions at 100, 200 and 400 meter dash, the two relays, and in long jump, covering both sexes, and at 400 meters hurdles for women.

Each guest country will be represented by 10 athletes, 5 females and 5 males, aged 14-17 years who should belong to school category.

Brazil 2014

It is the first time in the history of the Soccer World Cups that 2 African teams, Nigeria and Algeria, qualify for the knockout stages in the same edition of the World Cup.

The best rating so far of an African team to quarterfinals were reached by Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010.

Nigeria, which was able to pass on Wednesday despite losing against Argentina (3-2), is qualified for the knockout stages for the 3rd time in its history.

Algeria, however, made history by getting for the first time, its ticket for the crossing games after a 1-1 draw against Russia on Thursday.

Five African teams were originally presented to Brazil-2014, but Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and Ghana were eliminated.