Soccer/Gold Cup

Orisbel Leiva scored in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time to give Cuba a 3-2 win over Curacao in the Caribbean Gold Cup finals on Thursday at the Montego Bay Sports Complex.

Jorge Luis Corrales had scored for Cuba in the 15th minute but before the end of first half, a brilliant goal by Prince Rajcomar leveled Curacao with Cuba at 1-1. Cuba took a 2-1 lead over Curacao in the 51st minute as Yasmany Lopez scored with a header. But in the 69th minute, Gevaro Nepomuceno leveled for Curacao with a superb free kick. When it seemed that the match would end in a draw, Orisbel Leiva struck for a dramatic late goal in extra time to give Cuba a 3-2 win over Curacao.

Now the Cuban team reached four points after a draw playing French Guiana in their first game on Tuesday. The result lifted the Cubans into second place in Group A, two points behind Trinidad & Tobago with two wins and 6 points, which sealed a 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup spot with a 4-2 victory over French Guiana early Thursday evening.

Cuba and Trinidad will meet in a rematch on Saturday with the Soca Warriors needing only a draw to clinch the group title and a spot in the November 18 championship game.

The win means that regardless of the result in its last Group A match on Saturday against Cuba the eight-time Caribbean champion can finish no worse than second in Group A. Winners and runners-up of the two groups automatically qualify for the Confederation event on Tuesday.

Cuba´s Return to the Games is Wonderful, says Caribbean Sports Official

The return of Cuba is wonderful, Hector Cardona, president of the Central American and the Caribbean Sports Organization (CACSO), joyfully expressed in his first meeting with Cuban press on arrival in the city that is hosting the 22nd Central American and Caribbean Games, Veracruz 2014.

On the sporting rivalry predicted for the event, he did not hesitate to consider that Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela and Colombia have already announced wins and that's good, because it indicates that we will have a games of excellence, but more important is that peace primarily prevails.

Cardona, called for these games to be the best ever, as they are very well organized and attended. Everything will be fine, although there are some minor problems with hotels, as for the first time there will be no sports village and some delegations are satisfied and others not.

He stressed that this edition will bring together 44 world and Olympic medalists, and will pass into history with a record of more than five thousand participants, including 2 165 women who had never exceeded two thousand.

On security, he said he was convinced that this is a solved and well organized theme, including the system designed for hotels, so we are well pleased in that regard.

Cardona announced the next games will be held in Barranquilla, Colombia, in 2018.

Russian Marathon Runner Will Tour Cuba for Cuban Five Freedom

Russian Marathon runner Dmitri Erojin, holder of several Guinness records in his career in exceptional conditions, confirmed Tuesday he will visit Cuba in solidarity with the three Cubans still imprisoned in the United States.

A lawyer by profession and amateur runner to support charities, Erojin told Prensa Latina that he is happy to announce his decision after learning about the visit to Russia of Fernando Gonzalez, one of the Cuban Five, as they are known throughout the world.

So far, all my runs were dedicated to health projects, but I watched Fernando's interview on Russia Today, and his firmness conquered me. Now I want to know the truth about the Cuban Five, he said.

Asked about his journey from Moscow to Sochi in 26 days previous to the latest Winter Olympics (1,658 kilometers), Erojin stressed that while running in the middle of the snow, he dreamed one day of running a marathon in the middle of the tropical heat.

Prensa Latina gave me the idea of running in Cuba, and now I'm about to make my dream come true, Erojin said at the Cuban embassy in Russia, where he was starting formal procedures.

During the journey to Sochi I summoned many runners in the cities I passed and I would do so in Cuba, he stated. So I think a race in Cuba will help me to learn more about the Cuban five heroes.

Soccer/Pelé

Brazilian soccer legend Pele was in a stable condition on Thursday following surgery for kidney stones, the Sao Paulo hospital doctor treating him said.

"He underwent surgery this morning to remove kidney stones and for now is clinically stable and recovering," read a statement from the Albert Einstein clinic, signed by Dr. Fabio Nasri later Thursday.

The statement read: "The patient Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Pele) remains hospitalized following tests which showed up kidney stones obstructing urinary flow." The facility authorities did not indicate when the 74-year-old might be discharged.

Pele was taken to the hospital late Wednesday with what close associate and aide Jose Fornos Rodrigues initially indicated was a stomach ailment which forced him to miss a book launch.