| DID YOU KNOW ... | | | | boycotted by Cuba. The place: South Korea. For the |
| Taismary Aguero was born and raised in Cuba before | | | | first time since 1978, volleyball players from Cuba did |
| becoming a naturalized Italian citizen. She is one of | | | | not part in an Olympic tournament. The team Cuban |
| the most famous volleyball players in the 2000s. | | | | did not defend its world title it had won in Rome two |
| Under the hands of Taismary Aguero, Cuba won the | | | | years before. |
| gold medal in volleyball in the 2000 Olympic Games in | | | | Cuba sent 120 athletes to the 1973 World Student |
| Australia. However, she escaped to Italy in 2001 and | | | | Games, which were held in Moscow, USSR (currently |
| having won a national team call-up became the first | | | | Russia).The Cuban contingent participated in nine |
| naturalized volleyball player to score for Italy. Perhaps | | | | Olympic sports: basketball, athletics, fencing, |
| her greatest triumph was captaining her new country | | | | gymnastics,volleyball, waterpolo, diving, tennis and |
| to their first World Cup triumph in Tokyo, Japan, in | | | | wrestling. The best athlete was Alberto Juantorena, |
| 2007. Ironically, Italy, led by the amazing play of | | | | who won a gold medal in the men's 400 meters. |
| Taismary Aguero, defeated Cuba 3-0 (27-25, 25-19, | | | | The Second Baseball World Cup was played in 1939 in |
| 25-16) in the finals. | | | | Cuba. Three teams took part and the hosts beat |
| Cuba did not sent a boxing team to the 1985 World | | | | Nicaragua in the final in Havana. |
| Cup in Seoul, South Korea's capital. Why? Because | | | | In 2006, Osmany Juantorena Portuondo was the 18th |
| Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz did not recognize South | | | | Cuban athlete to be disqualified for drugs. He is |
| Korea as an independent and sovereign country. | | | | Alberto Juantorena's grandson. |
| There were many famous boxers who did not go to | | | | The Cuban dictatorship restricts the sports people's |
| Korea: Juan Torres Odelin, Pedro Orlando Reyes, | | | | contacts with non-allies nations (especially South |
| Arnaldo Mesa Borell, Jesus Sollet Tomasen, Adolfo | | | | Korea, Poland, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Hungary and |
| Horta Martinez, Eduardo Correa Ferrer, Candelario | | | | the Czech Republic). It allows few Cuban athletes to |
| Duvergel Odelin, Angel Espinoza Capo, Julio Quintana | | | | travel outside the country. |
| Martinez, Pablo Romero Hernandez and Teofilo | | | | DID YOU ALSO KNOW THAT: |
| Stevenson Lawrence. | | | | Like Alexandre Alekhine (France), Bobby Fischer |
| Ramon Fonst Segundo has won more Olympic gold | | | | (USA) and Garry Gasparov (Russia), Jose Raul |
| medals than Teofilo Stevenson (boxing), Alberto | | | | Capablanca y Graupera is considered by experts as |
| Juantorena Danger (track and field), Mireya Luis | | | | one of the most important chess players of the |
| Hernandez (volleyball) and Felix Savon Fabre | | | | twentieth century. He won the title of world chess |
| (boxing).Who is he? Ramon Fonst was a famous | | | | champion from 1921 to 1927. Where was Jose |
| fencer in the 1900s, 1920s and 1930s. He was born | | | | Capablanca born? He was born on November 19, |
| into a sports-oriented family in the Cuban capital of | | | | 1888, in Havana. |
| Havana on August 31, 1883. His father was a | | | | The problem of illegal drug usage among Cuban |
| sportsman in the 1870s and 1880s. Like Jose Raul | | | | athletes closed the competition in the 1983 Pan |
| Capablanca (chess) and Eligio Sardinas Montalvo | | | | American Games in Caracas, the capital city of |
| (boxing), he was an athlete who always competed | | | | Venezuela. The most notable disqualification was |
| with love for Cuba. Ramón Fonst obtained 125 | | | | Cuban weighlifter Daniel Nunez, who had won a gold |
| medals in competitions held in Europe, Latin America | | | | medal at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, URSS. |
| and North America. In the 1900 Olympic Games in | | | | He was voted athlete of the year for 1982 by |
| France, Ramon won the gold medal in the epee | | | | Prensa Latina. |
| event, and in the 1904 Summer Olympics in the | | | | Jorge Enrico Blanco was one of the Cuba's best |
| United States, he won three gold medals. In 1926, he | | | | known and well-loved boxers. Why? In 1967, he won |
| won two gold medals at the Central American and | | | | the Pan American lightweight title. |
| Caribbean Games in Mexico City. Certainly, Ramon | | | | In the Olympic Games of 1904, the Cuban fencing |
| Fonst is the greatest Latin American athlete of the | | | | team won 8 medals (3 golds, 2 silvers and 3 |
| 20th century. | | | | bronzes). |
| In the early 1990s, large number of athletes began | | | | Maria Teresa Mora Iturralde was a famous chess |
| leaving their country because of poor economic | | | | player. In 1922, she won the National Chess |
| conditions there and severe treatment by the secret | | | | Championship of Cuba. |
| police. Many sought refuge in the United States, Spain | | | | From 1954 to 1968, Bertha Diaz won 258 gold |
| and Canada. | | | | medals. At the Pan American Games in 1955, she |
| Cuba sent 2 athletes to the 2003 World University | | | | won the 60-meter sprint and qualified for the 1956 |
| Games, which were held in Daegu, South Korea. | | | | Olympic Games. Unfortunately, she escaped from |
| They were Yordanis Arencibia and Yurileidys Lupetey | | | | Cuba in the 1960s when it became a communist |
| ( judo). | | | | dictatorship. In 1956, she set a new Pan American |
| The 1987 World Junior Volleyball Championship was | | | | record of 11.20 seconds in the 80-meter hurdles. |