Havana, March 8 (RHC) – This Sunday, three finals will be contested by Cuban representatives in the Havana 2026 International Youth Badminton Tournament, at the Sports City Coliseum.
Iker Herrera and Thalia Roque, members of the senior national team, will compete for the mixed doubles title against Colombians Jerónimo Giraldo and Juliana Castaño.
The visitors reached this stage with two easy victories over inexperienced local pairs, while Iker and Thalia easily won their match against another Cuban duo.
In women’s doubles, the hosts Leonor Alvisa and Thalia Roque will face Paraguayan sisters Paula and Sofía Rodas, who have experience in other international under-19 competitions, including the Lithuania Junior Championships in October 2025 and the South American Youth Championships in Bucaramanga, Colombia, in December.
The gold medal in men’s doubles will be contested by the home pairs of Iker Herrera-Carlos Vega and Alberto Lazo-Oscar Montano, in a category that includes seven teams, all from Cuba.
In the women’s singles event, the Rodas sisters will face off.
Sofia dominated the semifinals on Saturday, defeating Colombian Juliana Castaño 21-8 and 21-11, while Paula beat local player María Carla Torres 21-3 and 21-7, effectively securing the gold medal for Paraguay.
The most coveted event in the men’s competition will feature two contenders who have navigated the various stages without difficulty: Bulgarian Teodor Mitev and Colombian Jerónimo Giraldo, both of whom defeated local players today.
The only European in the tournament achieved his third victory by defeating Vega in two identical 21-12 sets, while Giraldo overcame Herrera with scores of 21-12 and 21-10.
This tournament has been very beneficial for Cuba’s young players, despite the low number of foreign participants, as some of them have been able to compete against juniors with more experience in higher-level events.
It also provides an opportunity to earn points for the world junior ranking, which determines who qualifies for the world championship and other prestigious tournaments in this category.
