Toronto 2015
Cuba remains in 4th place in the medal standing of the 17th Toronto 2015 Pan-American Games with 24 gold, 19 silver and 30 bronze medals on ranks led by the United States (69-59-55). Colombia and Cuba are carrying out a strong dispute today for the 4th position. But let's see what's happening in today's competitions:
Venezuelan boxers Finol Yoel (49 kilograms) and Endry Saavedra (75 Kg) will seek today their tickets when facing Cubans Joahnys Argilagos and Endry Saavedra.
Venezuelan sports delegation will also be measured in fencing with the participation of Isis Jimenez, Liz Rivero in women's foil, and Antonio Leal and Victor León in the male branch of that mode.
Meanwhile, Cuban world medalist Rafael Alba competes today in more than 80 kg in taekwondo.
Baseball
The Cuban baseball team suffered its 1st defeat on Tuesday in the traditional Baseball Tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands, losing to the host 12-7.
Cuba was wining 6-2 until the 7th inning when the Dutch took advantage of opener withdrawal Frank Monthiet and punished mercilessly the Cuban bullpen to make decisive cluster of 7 runs.
Monthiet worked solidly for 6 innings with an average rate of 2 hits and allowed 1 clean, plus 3 walks and 5 strikeouts, but after leaving the box came the debacle of the Cuban pitching.
The catcher Osvaldo Vazquez stood out at 3-2 the Cuban offensive with 3 trailers, including his 3rd homer of the contest, supported by 3rd baseman Yurisbel Gracial, 5-3 with 2 doubles and 1 homer.
Now the standings shows Holland 3-0 in 1st place, followed by Cuba (2-1), Japan (1-2), Curacao (1-2) and Taipei (1-3).
Today, Wednesday, Cuba will face Curacao while Japan and the Netherlands will also clash.
Cuban Ruperto Herrera to the FIBA Hall of Fame
Cuban former basketball star Ruperto Herrera will be inducted this September to the FIBA Hall of Fame, announced the basketball's governing body.
Along with the likes of NBA's megastar Michael Jordan, the current Cuban Federation official will be enshrined September 19th in the French city of Lille, and presented during the half time of the final match of the Eurobasket Championship the following day.
Herrera, born in Havana in 1949, was a key player on the Cuban team that won the bronze medal in the Olympics in Munich 1972.
Eight times national champion with Industriales, Herrera also won a bronze in a Pan American Games, and played in two World Cups.
The other inductees, along Herrera and Jordan, will be players Sarunas Marciulionis (Lithuania), Anne Donovan (U.S.), Vladimir Tkachenko (Russia/Ukraine), Antoine Rigaudeau (France); coach Jan Stirling (Australia), technical official Robert Blanchard (France) and contributor Noah Klieger (Israel).
Football
Argentinean star soccer player Lionel Messi denied having received 3.5 million euros as a compensation for his recent visit to Gabon, France Football magazine reported today.
According to the French magazine, the Barcelona star received a sum of money for his indirect support to Gabonese President Ali Bongo, it was claimed on Tuesday.
Messi has requested France Football to correct the information, which he said it was offensive. The sources affirm that Messi traveled to Gabon due to his friendship with the former manager of the Barcelona Football Club Alejandro Echevarría and his friendship with Cameroonian soccer player Samuel Eto, whose foundation Messi promise to support. Messi traveled to Gabon personally invited by Gabonese President Ali Bongo to lay the first stone at a future Africa Cup of Nations venue.
FIFA to Decide President Election Date
FIFA's executive committee is to meet at the soccer world governing body's headquarters next Monday to set the president election date.
FIFA leader Sepp Blatter held talks with his vice presidents late Sunday ahead of a meeting to set a date for an election. The group discussed the date, but sources at the talks with top officials from 5 of the regional confederations would not say if they agreed when the vote should be held.
None of the regional leaders are yet candidates for the election but UEFA president, Frenchman Michel Platini, 60, is considering a run.
The meeting was held one day after former FIFA vice president Jeffrey Webb appeared in a New York court and pleaded not guilty to accepting bribes. He was released on 10 million dollars in bail.
Blatter was reelected to a 5th term on May 29th, just 2 days after Webb and six other FIFA officials were arrested in a raid on the luxury Zurich hotel where Sunday's meeting took place.
