Mexico, Cuba and Colombia Dominate Veracruz Games

At the 22nd Central American and Caribbean Games in the Mexican port city of Veracruz, Mexico's delegation has won 22 gold medals, with Cuban athletes taking 11 gold medals so far.

After two days of competition, the games are so far being dominated by the hosts, along with Cuba and Colombia. Mexico is currently at the top of the medal chart after winning 22 gold, 10 silver and 12 bronze medals.

Behind Mexico, Cuba has managed to win 11 gold, 4 silver and 10 bronze medals. Colombia is in third place in the standings with 4 gold, 9 silver and 13 bronze medals.

Since the first games in 1926, Cuba has won the most medals at the competition. Mexico trails the island in overall medals, followed by Venezuela and Colombia.

A total of 5,700 athletes from 31 countries are competing in 36 different sports include different sports including baseball, boxing and rugby.

Cuban Baseball in Veracruz

The Cuban baseball team finished undefeated its qualifying stage of the 22nd Central American and Caribbean Games in Veracruz, Mexico, by knocking out 10-0 Guatemala.

The right-hander Yosvani Torres was the winner by allowing only 2 hits and striking out 5 opponents in the same amount of innings, while Jean Paolo Rossil took the loss.

Cuba's best hitter was the right fielder Yadiel Hernandez with 2 hits in 3 at bats with 4 RBIs, in a game held at the Beto Avila Stadium, while DH Frederich Cepeda hit a homer and drove in 2 runs.

Thus, Cuba headed Group A with 3 wins in as many games, so now they will face the Dominican Republic, 2nd of Poole B, in the semifinal stage.

The other clash to advance to the finals will be animated by Nicaragua, leader of Pool B (2-1), and Puerto Ricans, who escorted Cuba in Group A with 2-1.

Cycling with Record

With a record for Central American and Caribbean Games in cycling, the Cuban quartet won the women's team pursuit event at the competition organized by Veracruz, Mexico.

Marlies Mejias, Arlenis Sierra, Yudelmis Dominguez and Yumari Gonzalez set a new record for the Games of 4: 31,235 minutes, at the velodrome of Xalapa and were escorted by the local squad (4: 32,956) and Colombia (4: 35.706) in that order.

Cuban Lisandra Guerra won the crown in the women's 500-meter time trial after stopping the clock at 33,697 seconds, ahead of Mexico's Luz Gaxiola (34,612) and Mary Fong (35,356).

Guerra, a native of the province of Matanzas, reached her 2nd golden medal as she joined forces with Mejias to dominate the women's team sprint.

Cuba accumulates three titles in track cycling, and a bronze medal won by Sierra at women's scratch race , so it is escorted by Colombia (3-1-2) and Venezuela (2-1-3).

Cuban Taekwondo World Champion Suspended for One Year

Taekwondo world champion in less than 73 kilograms, the Cuban Glenhis Hernandez was suspended for one year, according to the a release by the newspaper of the Central American and Caribbean Games, Veracruz 2014.

According to the publication, the measure adopted by the Taekwondo Regulatory Committee in the regional competition precludes Hernandez attend the Pan-American Games in Toronto, Canada, next year.

The penalty, says the publication, due to the fact that the Cuban athlete raised her left middle finger during almost all the ceremony as a sign of disapproval, after she lost the gold medal against Mexican Maria del Rosario Espinoza.

The taekwondo tournament in the Central American and Caribbean Games concluded here yesterday with an overwhelming dominance of Mexico, which won 10 gold medals, 1 silver and 4 bronze while Cuba was second with 3-4-2.

Soccer

Haiti defeated 2012 champions Cuba by 2-1 at the Montego Bay Sports Complex in Jamaica to clinch 3rd place in the CFU 2014 Caribbean Cup.

After a goalless first half, Haiti got the opening goal when Jerome Mechanck scored in the 57th minute. Later, 2nd half substitute Wilde Guerrier made it 2-0 in the 85th minute before Ariel Gonzalez netted a superb free-kick in scoring a consolation item for the Cubans.

Finally, Trinidad and Tobago's Soca Warriors is carded to face the Reggae Boyz of Jamaica in the championship match later this evening.