Havana, December 5 (RHC) – The Cuban women’s national handball team defeated Kazakhstan in their opening match of the President’s Cup.
Odalys Escalona’s goal in the final seconds of the game gave Jorge Coll’s team their first victory, 29-28.
To achieve this, they had to overcome a 14-12 halftime deficit, winning the second half 17-14.
Escalona herself finished with six goals for a team that also featured standout performances from Lorena Téllez, the game’s top scorer with 10 goals, and Shakira Robert, with seven.
Notably, Amanda Toledo failed to score at all during the game, although it could be seen as a positive that her teammates stepped up and secured the victory.
After failing to advance to the Main Round of the IHF Women’s World Championship in Germany and the Netherlands, and thus losing their group stage matches, the Cuban team has started strong in the consolation round.
This Saturday, they will face Egypt, and on Monday, they will close out the first stage of the tournament against China, the last opponent in Group II, ranked between 17th and 24th.
