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Cuba - Olympic Sport And Dictatorship

Like Park Chung-hee (Asia/South Korea:
1962-79) and Idi Amin Dada (Africa/Uganda:18.  Chappe,  Taimi-Fencing...2002...Spain
1971-79), Fidel Castro is a sports fanatic
and enjoys watching all types of Olympic19. De la Pena,
sports. Fidel Castro has visited the nationalJanerky-Gymnastics...2003...United  States
team's training camps, sports schools,
National Schools Games and spent time with20. Delgado, Alberto-Soccer...2002...United
the students-athletes and Olympic players.States
Since 1990, the Cuban dictatorship has spent
more than $80 million per year into Olympic21. Dennis, Angel-Volleyball...2001...Belgium
sport. However, Cuba is not an Olympic
paradise. Cuba's modern sporting history has22. Díaz, Juan
been  marked  by  sporting  defections.Carlos-Baseball...1996...Dominican  Republic
Every dictatorship has a style of its own.23. Dominguez,
Leonidas Rafael Trujillo had one: DominicanIván-Cycling...1998...United  States
music. Francois Duvalier had one: Haitian
culture. Kim Jong Il has one: the24. Duquesne,
cinematography. He likes films as "Gone withAlfredo-Basketball...1994...Canada.
the Wind", a famous film American. The
dictator of North Korea wrote an essay "On25. Garbey,
the  Art  of  Cinema".Ramón-Boxing............1993.....United
States
The Idi Amin Dada regimewas notorious for
torturing political prisoners, forbidding26. García, Ives-Swimming...2001...Puerto
dissent and free speech. Under theRico
dictatorship of Idi Amin Dada, about 350,000
people were killed. But he loves Olympic27. García, Osvaldo Junior-Water
sports like Fidel Castro Ruz. During 1970s hePolo...1995...United  States
had become an outspoken champion of sport in
the Third World. I remembered that the28. García Martínez,
Ugandan team won two gold, four silver andAliet-Soccer...2000.....United  States
three bronze medals during the Commonwealth
Games in New Zealand in 1974. Overall Ugandan29. Gato,
team ranked tenth, before Wales, TrinidadRamón-Volleyball...2001...Belgium
Tobago,  Tanzania  and  Jamaica.
30. Gilbert,
Fidel Castro once said: "What has Cuba's roleAndres-Basketball....1993...Puerto  Rico
been in the Olympic Games? What has it
achieved? What has been the fruit of our31. Gomez, Juan
efforts to promote healthy clean sports? AtCarlos-Boxing......1995...Germany
the 1972 Olympics, we finished 14th among 122
countries. At the Montreal Olympics in32. González,
1976-Juantorena remembers this well, and soJosé-Cycling...1994...Venezuela
do we-we finished 8th among 88 participating
countries. In 1980, in Moscow we finished 4th33.  Gregory, Elvis-Fencing...2002...Portugal
among 81 countries; in 1992, in Spain we
finished 5th among 169 countries; and in34. Griñan,
Atlanta, in 1996 we finished 8th among 197Fernando-Soccer.......1996....United  States
countries. Could anyone refuse these
figures". But under one of the world's oldest35. Guillen, Alain-Water Polo...1998...United
surviving dictatorships, the sport has becomeStates
a useful way for women and men to access to
freedom.36. Guillen, Arnaldo-Water
Polo...1998...United  States
Certainly, Cuban sport is a story of both
frustration and miracles. The Cuban37. Hernández,
government reacted with increduly when inAdrian-Baseball...2000...Dominican  Republic
1980 Roberto Urrutia, a weightlifter,
unexpectedly announced his decision to seek38. Hernandez, Alain-Soccer...2000...Costa
asylum in the United States. At the age 14Rica
Urrutia made weightlifting high top priority,
and ten months later he established national39. Hernandez,
records. Urrutia entered the 1975 PanIhosvany-Volleyball...2001...Belgium
American Championship at the age of 18 and
won gold medals for Cuba. In December, in40. Hernandez, Jorge
Matanzas, he become the first Latin AmericanLuis-Volleyball...2001...Belgium
weightlifter to obtain a World record. In
1976 he finally realized his dream of41. Hernandez, Livan-Baseball...1995...Mexico
competing in the Olympics. Like Alberto
Juantorena (track and field), Teofilo42. Hernandez,
Stevenson (boxing) and Mireya Luis HernandezOdalys-Softball....1993...Puerto  Rico
(volleyball), Roberto Urrutia Hernandez,
former member of Youth Communist Union, was a43. Hernández,Orlando-Baseball...1997...By
symbol of the Cuban Revolution. Roberto, wasboat
born on December 12, 1956, in La Havana, won
3 gold medals at the 1978 Weightlifting World44. Herrera, Roberto
Championships and ended world Soviet's-yearCarlos-Basketball....1999...Puerto  Rico
domination of international weightlifting.
Certainly, he was voted Hero of the Year by45. Herrera,
Prensa Latina. Before the Moscow OlympicRuperto-Basketball...1994...Canada
Games, Roberto Urrutia defected to the United
States  via  Mexico.46. Hurtado, Diobelys-Boxing...1995...United
States
In the past few years, we have seen a number
of events take place: Taimaris Aguero, a47. Ibañez,
player, came to seek freedom in Italy; OdelinCiro-Weightlifting...1986....United  States
Molina, an outstanding footballer from La
Havana sought political asylum in the United48.  Juncosa, Abel-Shooting....1999....Canada
States; and Dulce Tellez, a sportswoman, came
to  San  Juan  de  Puerto  Rico.49. Lapera, Ulises-Field
Hockey...1999...Canadá
Aguero, who at 1,77, was considered one of
the best female athletes in the Americas, at50. León Tamayo,
the age of 16 she become the youngest personCharles-Gymnastics...2003...United  States
ever to be a member of Cuban Team. During the
1993 World Junior Championships in Sao Paulo,51. Marshall,
Brazil, Aguero finished first in theLeonel-Volleyball...2001...Belgium
competition for best setter. When Tanya
Ortyz, setter from 1987 to 1995, announced52. Martinez, Juan Carlos-Water
her intention to retire at the end of 1995,Polo...1993...United  States
Aguero was considered a leading candidate for
the post. Therefore, she was keywoman when53. Martinez, Rey-Soccer...2002...United
Cuba finished first at the 1998 WorldStates
Championship. In 2000 Aguero helped the Cuban
team reach victory at the Olympic Games. If54. Matienzo,
not the greatest setter ever, she isRichard-Basketball....1994...Canada
certainly the most celebrated in volleyball
history. Nowadays Taimaris Aguero is one of55.  Miranda,  Arturo-Diving...1995...Canada
the most remembered and dearest sportswomen
by Cubans. Behind baseball, volleyball is the56. Montalvo, Niurka-Track and
most  popular  sport  in  Cuba.Field...1997...Greece
Dulce Tellez was named best player in the57. Muñoz,
2006 Pan American Championships in PuertoDaimara-Swimming...1998...Puerto  Rico
Rico. Under her leadership Cuba won the
bronze medal in volleyball in the 200458. Nuñez,
Olympic Games in Athens. She left Cuba inJesús-Cycling...1998...Venezuela
July 2006-three months before the World
Championships in Tokyo. Before the 2006 World59. Nunez,
Championships, Cuba was ranked 3rd in theVladimir-Baseball...1995...Venezuela
world. Now it is ranked 7th. Meanwhile,
Odelin Molina, was born on August, 1974, in60. Ortega,
La Havana, was one of Cuba's best footballerWilliam-Baseball...1996...México.
and played the 1991 World Championship
Under-16 in Italy. In 1995 he defected to the61. Perez, Angel-Kayak...1993...United States
United  States,  where  he  lives  now.
62. Perez, José-Track and
SPORTING  DEFECTIONSField...1997...Puerto  Rico
1. Abvin Sánchez,63. Piedra, Armando-Water
Lazaro-Soccer...1995...United  StatesPolo...1995...United  States
2. Aguero,64. Pino,
Taimaris-Volleyball...2001....SwitzerlandHéctor-Basketball...1999...Puerto  Rico
3. Aldama, Yamilé-Track and65. Ramírez, Rio-Diving...1993...Puerto
Field...2003...United  KingdomRico
4. Arocha, Rene-Baseball...1991...United66. Rodriguez,
StatesHeriberto-Cycling...1998...Venezuela
5. Arrojo, Rolando-Baseball...1996...United67. Rodriguez Osorio,
StatesGunther-Swimming...2003...Puerto  Rico
6. Barthelemy, Giorbis-Boxing...1990...United68. Romero Mayeta,
StatesLaseer-Volleyball...2001...Bélgica
7.  Blanco,  Enrico-Boxing...1967...Canada69. Rosales, Nubis-Swimming...1998...Puerto
Rico
8. Bordabehere,
Roger-Cycling...1994...Venezuela70. Salas, Maikel-Volleyball...2004...Puerto
Rico
9. Borrell, Lazaro-Basketball...1999...Puerto
Rico71. Sánchez, Alex-Baseball...1994...By
boat
10. Brito Ferrer,
Michel-Gymnastics....2003...United  States72. Sánchez, Alexis-Track and
Field...1998....Puerto  Rico
11. Brito, Javier-Volleyball...2004...Puerto
Rico73. Toca, Jorge Luis-Baseball...1998...By
boat
12. Caballero, Angel
Oscar-Basketball...1999...Puerto  Rico74. Trevejo,
Iván-Fencing...2002...Portugal
13. Cala,
Yosleider-Volleyball...2003...Puerto  Rico75. Urrutia,
Roberto-Weightlifting....1980....Mexico
14. Campoalegre, Ramón-Water
Polo...1998...United  States76. Valdés, Tatiana-Kayak...1994...United
States
15. Casamayor,
Joel-Boxing........1993.....United  States77. Vázquez,
Juan-Basketball....1999....Canada
16. Castillo,
Ulises-Boxing..........1993.....United States78. Wilson,
Jesús-Wrestling...1994...United  States
17. Contreras, José
Ariel-Baseball...2002...Nicaragua79.



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