Havana, February 12 (RHC) – The Cuban Basketball Federation confirmed this Thursday the relocation of its venue for the second qualifying window for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar.
Therefore, the games originally scheduled for February 27 against Panama and March 2 against Uruguay at the Coliseo de la Ciudad Deportiva in Havana will now be played on the same dates at the Arena Roberto Durán in Panama City.
The decision is due to administrative reasons, according to the federation’s president, Dalia Henry.
“The current conditions in our country, resulting from the tightening of the United States blockade against Cuba, make it difficult to organize this event with the quality it demands, which is why we find ourselves needing to take this measure,” she explained.
“We must thank the international federation (FIBA) not only for their understanding, but also for all the help provided so that we could travel and hold the games in Panama,” Henry noted.
She appreciated the cooperation of the Panamanian sports authorities in hosting this event and that of their Uruguayan counterparts in accepting the relocation without objection.
The commissioner for the sport also stated that this is not the first time that the aggressive and illegal policies of the United States have affected Cuban basketball. She recalled the visa denials for travel to Puerto Rico, which have prevented Cuban athletes from participating on equal terms with their rivals; so much so that it has resulted in Cuba having to move from the Caribbean qualifying group to the South American group.
