Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) and President of the Republic, presented the Cuban delegation with its flag in Havana, heading to the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games, scheduled for July 24th to August 8th in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
In a ceremony held at the José Martí Memorial in Revolution Square, the president, accompanied by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, presented the national flag to world champions Luis A. Orta (wrestling) and Leyanis Pérez (athletics).
This will be the banner that accompanies the more than 500 athletes who will compete in 42 disciplines and participate in 356 of the 497 events scheduled for the Games.
Freestyle wrestler Arturo Silot, this year’s Pan American champion, and handball goalkeeper Niurkis Mora, the Central American Games champion for San Salvador 2023, accompanied the flag bearers, while Otto Oñate (weightlifting) and Andrea Becali (swimming) laid a floral offering at the monument to the Apostle, and Marifélix Sarria (weightlifting), the world runner-up, read the athletes’ oath.
Meyvis Estévez, first secretary of the National Committee of the Union of Young Communists (UJC), urged the Cuban delegation to compete with dignity in the oldest regional multi-sport event in the world, as a demonstration of the vitality forged from love for the national team and respect for a people who know how to reward more than just medals.
“Don’t forget that Cuba is family, home, mother, and mothers are never disappointed. We know that we will have loyal sons and daughters of this sacred land among you, and we will follow every competition from here so that you don’t feel alone. Every time you sing the notes of the national anthem, do so knowing that you are making an entire nation vibrate,” the youth leader affirmed.
The event, which was also attended by Osvaldo Vento Montiller, president of the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (INDER), and Roberto León Richard, president of the Cuban Olympic Committee, also witnessed the selection of Mijaín López, a legend of Cuban sport, as the first ambassador for the Country Brand.
In a statement by Humberto Juan Fabián Suárez, president of the Country Brand Council, the outstanding merits of López, a five-time Olympic ace, were highlighted. He has long been one of the most admired and recognized athletes in the world for his impact on the competitive wrestling scene and his social work outside the ring.
Furthermore, after the official flag-raising ceremony, UJC (Young Communist League) membership cards were distributed to members of the delegation, and a video presentation about Cerro Pelado was shown, relating to the epic journey of the Cuban delegation at the 10th Central American and Caribbean Games in San Juan, Puerto Rico (1966). The Cuban delegation traveled to the Games by ship and defended their right to compete despite pressure from the United States government.
The 25th Central American and Caribbean Games, hosted by the Dominican capital, will open on July 24th, although some disciplines, such as water polo, badminton, tennis, and archery, will begin days earlier. Therefore, the first contingents from the Caribbean nation will depart starting this Sunday.
Cuba, third among countries with 74 titles at the 2023 San Salvador Games, aims this time to consolidate its position among the regional sporting elite with a performance that could result in approximately 68 first-place finishes, in a socioeconomic context marked by the energy crisis and the shortages imposed by the United States’ economic, commercial, and financial blockade.
IMAGE CREDIT: Photo: John Vila Acosta
[ SOURCE: AGENCIA CUBANA DE NOTICIAS ]
