Taekwondo
With the technical meeting and the draw of 8 categories, 4 in each sex, the activities of the Pan-American Taekwondo Olympic Qualifying, with a stage in the Mexican city of Aguascalientes, began on Wednesday.
According to the competition schedule, the first 8 bouts in the category of 49 and 57 kg for women, and 80 and +80 among men, will be fought on Thursday March 10th, a day after it will be the turn of the men of 58 and 68 kg and females 67 and +67 kg.
Cuba attends with 4 athletes, 2 in each sex, showing the very first day its Pan-American monarch in Toronto 2015, José Ángel Cobas, in 80 kg., and the world holder in Puebla 2013, Rafael Alba, in the top category, the latter, the only Cuban who appears among the first in the world rankings, in 12th place.
Meanwhile, the also world champion in Puebla 2013, Glenys Hernández in +67 kilos, will fight on Friday March 11th together with Yamicel Núñez in the 67 kg., 3rd in Puebla 2013. The first 2 of each weight category will qualify for Rio 2016.
Pelota
With the inclusion of fronbol as another of its forms, Basque pelota aims to expand globally and attract even more young people, according to Xavier Casaubón, president of the International Federation.
During his appearance before the local media, the former head coach of the Mexican team between 1994-2010, said that he always carries Havana in his heart, so his current visit is premeditated, from knowing Cuba as a sports power and social example.
Finally, Xavier Casaubón highlighted as commendable the presence of the International Federation of Basque Pelota in some countries in Africa and Asia, its certification as an official sport in the program of the South-American Games Cochabamba 2018, the Pan-American Games Lima 2019, and as a sport exhibition at the III Summer Youth Olympics 2018.
Boxing
Cuba's Los Domadores will mix again recognized and novel figures to meet next Friday against Turkey's Conquerors in a program that will mark the premiere of the Havana Sports City Coliseum during the 6th World Series of Boxing.
The Cuban team goes 2nd in Group A with 7 points, 3 more than their rivals, in a Table headed by the Otomans from Ukraine, which reached 9 successful units after defeating the Cuban team, to collide this weekend with the Chinese Dragons, who own 4 points.
Rowing
The training plan or critical route to the Rio Olympics has led the Cuban rowing teams, already classified, to observe a high-altitude training base in Mexico.
The main Cuban figure, Angel Fournier, in the single with double sculls mode, and the duet of Eduardo Rubio and Adrián Oquendo in double pair mode, are now training at a lake in Mexico City.
The rowers, under coach Juan Manuel Paula, complete the training phase of this year with a design that first brought them to Uruguay, where they got to meet the volumes and rowing kilometers needed for a whole month. Now, the height will encourage their capacity building they meet after more than 20 training days.
While they work in Mexico, other crews of women and men are preparing for an upcoming participation in the Olympic qualifier in Chile.
Judo
The 2 main figures of Cuban men's judo, Asley González and José Armenteros, suffering a new injury, reported Urbelino Moreno, national team doctor of the discipline.
However, the Cuban physician noted that both judokas of 90 and 100 kg, respectively, evolve favorably with a view to their participation in the upcoming Grand Prix of Georgia and Turkey, which grants points for the universal ranking, qualifying for the Olympics in Rio.
Archery
As expected, Hugo Franco and Maydenia Sarduy lead teams entered by Cuba for the World Archery Cup to be played from May 9th-15th in the Colombian city of Medellin.
The National Commissioner Tamara Jiménez confirmed the news to JIT sports magazine after an analysis that followed the last checks organized in areas of the Giraldo Cordova Cardin Training School of High Performance Athletes.
It was determined that the male cast will be completed by the Pan-American champion in Rio de Janeiro 2007 Adrian Puente and then number two, Juan Carlos Stevens, also 5th in Beijing 2008.
Among women, the other quotas went to the less experienced Elizabeth Rodríguez and Rosmery Valdés, who moved out Lorisglenis Ojea, as happened to Jaime Quintana in the men's sector.
Within the contest, a qualifying competition will be organized that will grant the final berths to Rio de Janeiro's Olympics to the first 3 places in the Olympic Round in each sex.
