Best Cuban Athletes Awarded

Female judoka Idalis Ortiz and Greco-Roman style wrestler Mijaín López were awarded as the best Cuban athletes in 2014, at a gala attended by Miguel Díaz-Canel, first vice president of the Councils of State and Ministers.

The Palace of Conventions brought together luminaries of sport, in an enclosure filled with joy, love and applauses with the attendance of the five anti-terrorist heroes who returned to their homeland.

That moment also served to recognize the performance at the 22nd Central American and Caribbean Games, where the Caribbean nation reached again the first place.

The ceremony was also attended by the basketball and baseball players Yamara Amargo and Yulieski Gourriel, respectively, the most outstanding athletes in team sports, and the also baseball player Vladimir Gutierrez, elected Rookie of the Year.

The list of the top 10 is completed by Yarisley Silva (athletics), Angel Fournier (rowing), Marlies Mejias and Lisandra Guerra (cycling), Erislandy Savon and Julio Cesar la Cruz (boxing), Reinieris Salas and Liban López (wrestling) José Armenteros (judo) and Manrique Larduet (gymnastics).

They all received their trophies and diplomas from senior leaders of the Party, the Cuban Olympic Committee ( COC by its Spanish acronym) and the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (INDER by its Spanish acronym), with the added excitement of receiving the embrace of the Cuban Five.

Precisely René González , Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Antonio Guerrero and Fernando González received the Dignity Medal, distinction also given to Diaz -Canel and José Ramón Fernández, president of the COC.

Boxing was one of the most awarded disciplines, since it held the top positions with the Cuba Domadores team and as individual sports, while baseball took the honors as team sport.

Rolando Acebal, head of the technical staff of the national boxing team, was also awarded by his election as the best coach in the 4th World Series, tournament in which Erislandy Savon was the most outstanding athlete.

The sporting disciplines that reached medals in World Championships, as in the case of athletics, canoeing, judo, wrestling, Basque pelota, rowing and boxing, also earned certificates of recognition.

Jorge González, President of the Commission of Health and Sports of the National Assembly of People’s Power, expressed the respect, affection and admiration the Cuban people feel by their athletes, because “you are particularly the proud of a whole nation,” he said.

The athletes with disabilities with better performances this year were also stimulated at the Awards Gala.

The judokas Dalisdaivis Rodriguez and Yangaliny Jimenez and Luis Felipe Gutierrez and Suslaidy Girat, both of athletics, were among the honorees.