| POLITICS AND SPORTS:CUBA | | | | 13. Cala, Yosleider-Volleyball…2003…Puerto Rico |
| By alejandro Guevara Onofre | | | | 14. Campoalegre, Ramón-Water Polo…1998…United |
| Like Park Chung-hee (Asia/South Korea: 1962-79) and | | | | States |
| Idi Amin Dada (Africa/Uganda: 1971-79), Fidel Castro is | | | | 15. Casamayor, Joel-Boxing……..1993…..United States |
| a sports fanatic and enjoys watching all types of | | | | 16. Castillo, Ulises-Boxing……….1993…..United States |
| Olympic sports. Fidel Castro has visited the national | | | | 17. Contreras, José |
| team’s training camps, sports schools, National | | | | Ariel-Baseball…2002…Nicaragua |
| Schools Games and spent time with the | | | | 18. Chappe, Taimi-Fencing…2002…Spain |
| students-athletes and Olympic players. Since 1990, the | | | | 19. De la Pena, Janerky-Gymnastics…2003…United |
| Cuban dictatorship has spent more than $80 million per | | | | States |
| year into Olympic sport. However, Cuba is not an | | | | 20. Delgado, Alberto-Soccer…2002…United States |
| Olympic paradise. Cuba’s modern sporting history | | | | 21. Dennis, Angel-Volleyball…2001…Belgium |
| has been marked by sporting defections. | | | | 22. Díaz, Juan Carlos-Baseball…1996…Dominican |
| Every dictatorship has a style of its own. Leonidas | | | | Republic |
| Rafael Trujillo had one: Dominican music. Francois | | | | 23. Dominguez, Iván-Cycling...1998...United States |
| Duvalier had one: Haitian culture. Kim Jong Il has one: | | | | 24. Duquesne, Alfredo-Basketball…1994…Canada. |
| the cinematography. He likes films as "Gone with the | | | | 25. Garbey, Ramón-Boxing…………1993…..United |
| Wind", a famous film American. The dictator of North | | | | States |
| Korea wrote an essay "On the Art of Cinema". | | | | 26. García, Ives-Swimming…2001…Puerto Rico |
| The Idi Amin Dada regime was notorious for torturing | | | | 27. García, Osvaldo Junior-Water |
| political prisoners, forbidding dissent and free speech. | | | | Polo…1995…United States |
| Under the dictatorship of Idi Amin Dada, about 350,000 | | | | 28. García Martínez, Aliet-Soccer…2000…..United |
| people were killed. But he loves Olympic sports like | | | | States |
| Fidel Castro Ruz. During 1970s he had become an | | | | 29. Gato, Ramón-Volleyball…2001…Belgium |
| outspoken champion of sport in the Third World. I | | | | 30. Gilbert, Andres-Basketball….1993…Puerto Rico |
| remembered that the Ugandan team won two gold, | | | | 31. Gomez, Juan Carlos-Boxing..….1995…Germany |
| four silver and three bronze medals during the | | | | 32. González, José-Cycling…1994…Venezuela |
| Commonwealth Games in New Zealand in 1974. | | | | 33. Gregory, Elvis-Fencing…2002…Portugal |
| Overall Ugandan team ranked tenth, before Wales, | | | | 34. Griñan, Fernando-Soccer…….1996….United |
| Trinidad Tobago, Tanzania and Jamaica. | | | | States |
| Fidel Castro once said: "What has Cuba’s role | | | | 35. Guillen, Alain-Water Polo…1998…United States |
| been in the Olympic Games? What has it achieved? | | | | 36. Guillen, Arnaldo-Water Polo…1998…United States |
| What has been the fruit of our efforts to promote | | | | 37. Hernández, Adrian-Baseball…2000…Dominican |
| healthy clean sports? At the 1972 Olympics, we | | | | Republic |
| finished 14th among 122 countries. At the Montreal | | | | 38. Hernandez, Alain-Soccer…2000…Costa Rica |
| Olympics in 1976—Juantorena remembers this well, | | | | 39. Hernandez, Ihosvany-Volleyball…2001…Belgium |
| and so do we—we finished 8th among 88 | | | | 40. Hernandez, Jorge Luis-Volleyball…2001…Belgium |
| participating countries. In 1980, in Moscow we finished | | | | 41. Hernandez, Livan-Baseball…1995…Mexico |
| 4th among 81 countries; in 1992, in Spain we finished | | | | 42. Hernandez, Odalys-Softball….1993…Puerto Rico |
| 5th among 169 countries; and in Atlanta, in 1996 we | | | | 43. Hernández,Orlando-Baseball…1997…By boat |
| finished 8th among 197 countries. Could anyone refuse | | | | 44. Herrera, Roberto |
| these figures". But under one of the world’s oldest | | | | Carlos-Basketball….1999…Puerto Rico |
| surviving dictatorships, the sport has become a useful | | | | 45. Herrera, Ruperto-Basketball…1994…Canada |
| way for women and men to access to freedom. | | | | 46. Hurtado, Diobelys-Boxing…1995…United States |
| Certainly, Cuban sport is a story of both frustration and | | | | 47. Ibañez, Ciro-Weightlifting…1986….United States |
| miracles. The Cuban government reacted with | | | | 48. Juncosa, Abel-Shooting….1999….Canada |
| increduly when in 1980 Roberto Urrutia, a weightlifter, | | | | 49. Lapera, Ulises-Field Hockey…1999…Canadá |
| unexpectedly announced his decision to seek asylum in | | | | 50. León Tamayo, |
| the United States. At the age 14 Urrutia made | | | | Charles-Gymnastics…2003…United States |
| weightlifting high top priority, and ten months later he | | | | 51. Marshall, Leonel-Volleyball…2001…Belgium |
| established national records. Urrutia entered the 1975 | | | | 52. Martinez, Juan Carlos-Water Polo…1993…United |
| Pan American Championship at the age of 18 and | | | | States |
| won gold medals for Cuba. In December, in Matanzas, | | | | 53. Martinez, Rey-Soccer…2002…United States |
| he become the first Latin American weightlifter to | | | | 54. Matienzo, Richard-Basketball….1994…Canada |
| obtain a World record. In 1976 he finally realized his | | | | 55. Miranda, Arturo-Diving…1995…Canada |
| dream of competing in the Olympics. Like Alberto | | | | 56. Montalvo, Niurka-Track and Field…1997…Greece |
| Juantorena (track and field), Teofilo Stevenson (boxing) | | | | 57. Muñoz, Daimara-Swimming…1998…Puerto Rico |
| and Mireya Luis Hernandez (volleyball), Roberto Urrutia | | | | 58. Nuñez, Jesús-Cycling…1998…Venezuela |
| Hernandez, former member of Youth Communist | | | | 59. Nunez, Vladimir-Baseball…1995…Venezuela |
| Union, was a symbol of the Cuban Revolution. | | | | 60. Ortega, William-Baseball…1996…México. |
| Roberto, was born on December 12, 1956, in La | | | | 61. Perez, Angel-Kayak…1993…United States |
| Havana, won 3 gold medals at the 1978 Weightlifting | | | | 62. Perez, José-Track and Field…1997…Puerto |
| World Championships and ended world | | | | Rico |
| Soviet’s-year domination of international | | | | 63. Piedra, Armando-Water Polo…1995…United |
| weightlifting. Certainly, he was voted Hero of the Year | | | | States |
| by Prensa Latina. Before the Moscow Olympic | | | | 64. Pino, Héctor-Basketball…1999…Puerto Rico |
| Games, Roberto Urrutia defected to the United States | | | | 65. Ramírez, Rio-Diving…1993…Puerto Rico |
| via Mexico. | | | | 66. Rodriguez, Heriberto-Cycling…1998…Venezuela |
| In the past few years, we have seen a number of | | | | 67. Rodriguez Osorio, |
| events take place: Taimaris Aguero, a player, came to | | | | Gunther-Swimming…2003…Puerto Rico |
| seek freedom in Italy; Odelin Molina, an outstanding | | | | 68. Romero Mayeta, |
| footballer from La Havana sought political asylum in the | | | | Laseer-Volleyball…2001…Bélgica |
| United States; and Dulce Tellez, a sportswoman, came | | | | 69. Rosales, Nubis-Swimming…1998…Puerto Rico |
| to San Juan de Puerto Rico. | | | | 70. Salas, Maikel-Volleyball…2004…Puerto Rico |
| Aguero, who at 1,77, was considered one of the best | | | | 71. Sánchez, Alex-Baseball…1994…By boat |
| female athletes in the Americas, at the age of 16 she | | | | 72. Sánchez, Alexis-Track and Field…1998….Puerto |
| become the youngest person ever to be a member | | | | Rico |
| of Cuban Team. During the 1993 World Junior | | | | 73. Toca, Jorge Luis-Baseball…1998…By boat |
| Championships in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Aguero finished | | | | 74. Trevejo, Iván-Fencing…2002…Portugal |
| first in the competition for best setter. When Tanya | | | | 75. Urrutia, Roberto-Weightlifting….1980….Mexico |
| Ortyz, setter from 1987 to 1995, announced her | | | | 76. Valdés, Tatiana-Kayak…1994…United States |
| intention to retire at the end of 1995, Aguero was | | | | 77. Vázquez, Juan-Basketball….1999….Canada |
| considered a leading candidate for the post. Therefore, | | | | 78. Wilson, Jesús-Wrestling…1994…United States |
| she was keywoman when Cuba finished first at the | | | | 79. Zayas, Daniel-Weightlifting…1987…United States |
| 1998 World Championship. In 2000 Aguero helped the | | | | REFERENCES |
| Cuban team reach victory at the Olympic Games. If | | | | -Alfonso Jorge. "Cuba en los Juegos", Bohemia, La |
| not the greatest setter ever, she is certainly the most | | | | Habana, 26 de julio de 1991 |
| celebrated in volleyball history. Nowadays Taimaris | | | | -Baxter Kevin. "Contreras to learn money changes |
| Aguero is one of the most remembered and dearest | | | | everything", Miami Herald, Miami, 5 January 2003 |
| sportswomen by Cubans. Behind baseball, volleyball is | | | | -El equipo cubano de voleibol sufre su novena fuga de |
| the most popular sport in Cuba. | | | | jugadores en el extranjero, en |
| Dulce Tellez was named best player in the 2006 Pan | | | | -Enciclopedia de los Comités Olímpicos Nacionales |
| American Championships in Puerto Rico. Under her | | | | Tomo-3. Comité Olímpico Internacional,Lausana, |
| leadership Cuba won the bronze medal in volleyball in | | | | junio de 1980 |
| the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. She left Cuba in | | | | -EE.UU : tercer atleta de Cuba deserta en |
| July 2006—three months before the World | | | | campeonato de gimnasia, 25 de agosto de 2003, |
| Championships in Tokyo. Before the 2006 World | | | | en-Fernández Mario. "El pariente pobre", Suplemento |
| Championships, Cuba was ranked 3rd in the world. | | | | Deportivo Deportetotal Diario El Comercio, Lima, 31 de |
| Now it is ranked 7th. Meanwhile, Odelin Molina, was | | | | mayo de 2004 |
| born on August, 1974, in La Havana, was one of | | | | -Fernández Urbano. "Deporte : Las pesas hacia |
| Cuba’s best footballer and played the 1991 World | | | | Moscú", Cuba Internacional, La Habana, mayo de |
| Championship Under-16 in Italy. In 1995 he defected to | | | | 1980 |
| the United States, where he lives now. | | | | -Lidz, Franz. "After the fall", Sports Illustrated, New |
| SPORTING DEFECTIONS | | | | York, 15-22 july 2002 |
| 1. Abvin Sánchez, Lazaro-Soccer…1995…United | | | | -García Anne-Marie. "La frustración de Yamilé |
| States | | | | Aldama", Granma Internacional, La Habana, 20 de |
| 2. Aguero, Taimaris-Volleyball…2001….Switzerland | | | | febrero de 2000 |
| 3. Aldama, Yamilé-Track and Field…2003…United | | | | ………………… "Iván Trevejo recuerda a los |
| Kingdom | | | | Mártires de Barbados", Granma Internacional, La |
| 4. Arocha, Rene-Baseball…1991…United States | | | | Habana, 3 de diciembre de 2000 |
| 5. Arrojo, Rolando-Baseball…1996…United States | | | | Montesinos, Enrique. "La batalla por reparar la infamia |
| 6. Barthelemy, Giorbis-Boxing…1990…United States | | | | contra los atletas cubanos no ha terminado", Granma, |
| 7. Blanco, Enrico-Boxing…1967…Canada | | | | La Habana, 24 de octubre de 1999 |
| 8. Bordabehere, Roger-Cycling…1994…Venezuela | | | | -The Competition Results Volume III : The Official |
| 9. Borrell, Lazaro-Basketball…1999…Puerto Rico | | | | Report of the Centennial Olympic Games, The Atlanta |
| 10. Brito Ferrer, Michel-Gymnastics….2003…United | | | | Committee for the Olympic Games, Atlanta , 19997 |
| States | | | | -The Official Results of the 1984 Olympic Games |
| 11. Brito, Javier-Volleyball…2004…Puerto Rico | | | | Olympic Record, Olympic Committee, Pasadena, 1984 |
| 12. Caballero, Angel Oscar-Basketball…1999…Puerto | | | | -Valle Manuel. |
| Rico | | | | |