Sports Illustrated

Politics and Sports:cuba

POLITICS AND SPORTS:CUBA

By alejandro Guevara Onofre

Like Park Chung-hee (Asia/South Korea: 1962-79) and Idi Amin Dada (Africa/Uganda: 1971-79), Fidel Castro is a sports fanatic and enjoys watching all types of Olympic sports. Fidel Castro has visited the national team’s training camps, sports schools, National Schools Games and spent time with the students-athletes and Olympic players. Since 1990, the Cuban dictatorship has spent more than $80 million per year into Olympic sport. However, Cuba is not an Olympic paradise. Cuba’s modern sporting history has been marked by sporting defections.

Every dictatorship has a style of its own. Leonidas Rafael Trujillo had one: Dominican music. Francois Duvalier had one: Haitian culture. Kim Jong Il has one: the cinematography. He likes films as "Gone with the Wind", a famous film American. The dictator of North Korea wrote an essay "On the Art of Cinema".

The Idi Amin Dada regime was notorious for torturing political prisoners, forbidding dissent and free speech. Under the dictatorship of Idi Amin Dada, about 350,000 people were killed. But he loves Olympic sports like Fidel Castro Ruz. During 1970s he had become an outspoken champion of sport in the Third World. I remembered that the Ugandan team won two gold, four silver and three bronze medals during the Commonwealth Games in New Zealand in 1974. Overall Ugandan team ranked tenth, before Wales, Trinidad Tobago, Tanzania and Jamaica.

Fidel Castro once said: "What has Cuba’s role been in the Olympic Games? What has it achieved? What has been the fruit of our efforts to promote healthy clean sports? At the 1972 Olympics, we finished 14th among 122 countries. At the Montreal Olympics in 1976—Juantorena remembers this well, and so do we—we finished 8th among 88 participating countries. In 1980, in Moscow we finished 4th among 81 countries; in 1992, in Spain we finished 5th among 169 countries; and in Atlanta, in 1996 we finished 8th among 197 countries. Could anyone refuse these figures". But under one of the world’s oldest surviving dictatorships, the sport has become a useful way for women and men to access to freedom.

Certainly, Cuban sport is a story of both frustration and miracles. The Cuban government reacted with increduly when in 1980 Roberto Urrutia, a weightlifter, unexpectedly announced his decision to seek asylum in the United States. At the age 14 Urrutia made weightlifting high top priority, and ten months later he established national records. Urrutia entered the 1975 Pan American Championship at the age of 18 and won gold medals for Cuba. In December, in Matanzas, he become the first Latin American weightlifter to obtain a World record. In 1976 he finally realized his dream of competing in the Olympics. Like Alberto Juantorena (track and field), Teofilo Stevenson (boxing) and Mireya Luis Hernandez (volleyball), Roberto Urrutia Hernandez, former member of Youth Communist Union, was a symbol of the Cuban Revolution. Roberto, was born on December 12, 1956, in La Havana, won 3 gold medals at the 1978 Weightlifting World Championships and ended world Soviet’s-year domination of international weightlifting. Certainly, he was voted Hero of the Year by Prensa Latina. Before the Moscow Olympic Games, Roberto Urrutia defected to the United States via Mexico.

In the past few years, we have seen a number of events take place: Taimaris Aguero, a player, came to seek freedom in Italy; Odelin Molina, an outstanding footballer from La Havana sought political asylum in the United States; and Dulce Tellez, a sportswoman, came to San Juan de Puerto Rico.

Aguero, who at 1,77, was considered one of the best female athletes in the Americas, at the age of 16 she become the youngest person ever to be a member of Cuban Team. During the 1993 World Junior Championships in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Aguero finished first in the competition for best setter. When Tanya Ortyz, setter from 1987 to 1995, announced her intention to retire at the end of 1995, Aguero was considered a leading candidate for the post. Therefore, she was keywoman when Cuba finished first at the 1998 World Championship. In 2000 Aguero helped the Cuban team reach victory at the Olympic Games. If not the greatest setter ever, she is certainly the most celebrated in volleyball history. Nowadays Taimaris Aguero is one of the most remembered and dearest sportswomen by Cubans. Behind baseball, volleyball is the most popular sport in Cuba.

Dulce Tellez was named best player in the 2006 Pan American Championships in Puerto Rico. Under her leadership Cuba won the bronze medal in volleyball in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. She left Cuba in July 2006—three months before the World Championships in Tokyo. Before the 2006 World Championships, Cuba was ranked 3rd in the world. Now it is ranked 7th. Meanwhile, Odelin Molina, was born on August, 1974, in La Havana, was one of Cuba’s best footballer and played the 1991 World Championship Under-16 in Italy. In 1995 he defected to the United States, where he lives now.

SPORTING DEFECTIONS

1. Abvin Sánchez, Lazaro-Soccer…1995…United States

2. Aguero, Taimaris-Volleyball…2001….Switzerland

3. Aldama, Yamilé-Track and Field…2003…United Kingdom

4. Arocha, Rene-Baseball…1991…United States

5. Arrojo, Rolando-Baseball…1996…United States

6. Barthelemy, Giorbis-Boxing…1990…United States

7. Blanco, Enrico-Boxing…1967…Canada

8. Bordabehere, Roger-Cycling…1994…Venezuela

9. Borrell, Lazaro-Basketball…1999…Puerto Rico

10. Brito Ferrer, Michel-Gymnastics….2003…United States

11. Brito, Javier-Volleyball…2004…Puerto Rico

12. Caballero, Angel Oscar-Basketball…1999…Puerto Rico

13. Cala, Yosleider-Volleyball…2003…Puerto Rico

14. Campoalegre, Ramón-Water Polo…1998…United States

15. Casamayor, Joel-Boxing……..1993…..United States

16. Castillo, Ulises-Boxing……….1993…..United States

17. Contreras, José Ariel-Baseball…2002…Nicaragua

18. Chappe, Taimi-Fencing…2002…Spain

19. De la Pena, Janerky-Gymnastics…2003…United States

20. Delgado, Alberto-Soccer…2002…United States

21. Dennis, Angel-Volleyball…2001…Belgium

22. Díaz, Juan Carlos-Baseball…1996…Dominican Republic

23. Dominguez, Iván-Cycling...1998...United States

24. Duquesne, Alfredo-Basketball…1994…Canada.

25. Garbey, Ramón-Boxing…………1993…..United States

26. García, Ives-Swimming…2001…Puerto Rico

27. García, Osvaldo Junior-Water Polo…1995…United States

28. García Martínez, Aliet-Soccer…2000…..United States

29. Gato, Ramón-Volleyball…2001…Belgium

30. Gilbert, Andres-Basketball….1993…Puerto Rico

31. Gomez, Juan Carlos-Boxing..….1995…Germany

32. González, José-Cycling…1994…Venezuela

33. Gregory, Elvis-Fencing…2002…Portugal

34. Griñan, Fernando-Soccer…….1996….United States

35. Guillen, Alain-Water Polo…1998…United States

36. Guillen, Arnaldo-Water Polo…1998…United States

37. Hernández, Adrian-Baseball…2000…Dominican Republic

38. Hernandez, Alain-Soccer…2000…Costa Rica

39. Hernandez, Ihosvany-Volleyball…2001…Belgium

40. Hernandez, Jorge Luis-Volleyball…2001…Belgium

41. Hernandez, Livan-Baseball…1995…Mexico

42. Hernandez, Odalys-Softball….1993…Puerto Rico

43. Hernández,Orlando-Baseball…1997…By boat

44. Herrera, Roberto Carlos-Basketball….1999…Puerto Rico

45. Herrera, Ruperto-Basketball…1994…Canada

46. Hurtado, Diobelys-Boxing…1995…United States

47. Ibañez, Ciro-Weightlifting…1986….United States

48. Juncosa, Abel-Shooting….1999….Canada

49. Lapera, Ulises-Field Hockey…1999…Canadá

50. León Tamayo, Charles-Gymnastics…2003…United States

51. Marshall, Leonel-Volleyball…2001…Belgium

52. Martinez, Juan Carlos-Water Polo…1993…United States

53. Martinez, Rey-Soccer…2002…United States

54. Matienzo, Richard-Basketball….1994…Canada

55. Miranda, Arturo-Diving…1995…Canada

56. Montalvo, Niurka-Track and Field…1997…Greece

57. Muñoz, Daimara-Swimming…1998…Puerto Rico

58. Nuñez, Jesús-Cycling…1998…Venezuela

59. Nunez, Vladimir-Baseball…1995…Venezuela

60. Ortega, William-Baseball…1996…México.

61. Perez, Angel-Kayak…1993…United States

62. Perez, José-Track and Field…1997…Puerto Rico

63. Piedra, Armando-Water Polo…1995…United States

64. Pino, Héctor-Basketball…1999…Puerto Rico

65. Ramírez, Rio-Diving…1993…Puerto Rico

66. Rodriguez, Heriberto-Cycling…1998…Venezuela

67. Rodriguez Osorio, Gunther-Swimming…2003…Puerto Rico

68. Romero Mayeta, Laseer-Volleyball…2001…Bélgica

69. Rosales, Nubis-Swimming…1998…Puerto Rico

70. Salas, Maikel-Volleyball…2004…Puerto Rico

71. Sánchez, Alex-Baseball…1994…By boat

72. Sánchez, Alexis-Track and Field…1998….Puerto Rico

73. Toca, Jorge Luis-Baseball…1998…By boat

74. Trevejo, Iván-Fencing…2002…Portugal

75. Urrutia, Roberto-Weightlifting….1980….Mexico

76. Valdés, Tatiana-Kayak…1994…United States

77. Vázquez, Juan-Basketball….1999….Canada

78. Wilson, Jesús-Wrestling…1994…United States

79. Zayas, Daniel-Weightlifting…1987…United States

REFERENCES

-Alfonso Jorge. "Cuba en los Juegos", Bohemia, La Habana, 26 de julio de 1991

-Baxter Kevin. "Contreras to learn money changes everything", Miami Herald, Miami, 5 January 2003

-El equipo cubano de voleibol sufre su novena fuga de jugadores en el extranjero, en

-Enciclopedia de los Comités Olímpicos Nacionales Tomo-3. Comité Olímpico Internacional,Lausana, junio de 1980

-EE.UU : tercer atleta de Cuba deserta en campeonato de gimnasia, 25 de agosto de 2003, en-Fernández Mario. "El pariente pobre", Suplemento Deportivo Deportetotal Diario El Comercio, Lima, 31 de mayo de 2004

-Fernández Urbano. "Deporte : Las pesas hacia Moscú", Cuba Internacional, La Habana, mayo de 1980

-Lidz, Franz. "After the fall", Sports Illustrated, New York, 15-22 july 2002

-García Anne-Marie. "La frustración de Yamilé Aldama", Granma Internacional, La Habana, 20 de febrero de 2000

………………… "Iván Trevejo recuerda a los Mártires de Barbados", Granma Internacional, La Habana, 3 de diciembre de 2000

Montesinos, Enrique. "La batalla por reparar la infamia contra los atletas cubanos no ha terminado", Granma, La Habana, 24 de octubre de 1999

-The Competition Results Volume III : The Official Report of the Centennial Olympic Games, The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, Atlanta , 19997

-The Official Results of the 1984 Olympic Games Olympic Record, Olympic Committee, Pasadena, 1984

-Valle Manuel. "Taimi Chappé Valladares : espada de victorias", en El Deporte Derecho del Pueblo, La Habana, 11 de diciembre de 1991

About the Author

Alejandro Guevara Onofre:Writing is my great passion and I can´t imagine life without writing.I am versatile writer:international relations, biographies, Olympics Games, countries and World history.I have studied Political Science and Journalism.Furthermore, I have been studying Lierature, Olympic History and United States History. I have written and edited many books.I am an author of more than 400 essays and articles…for example “Politics and Sports:Cuba”

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