After two years without taking place due to COVID-19, the XXI edition of the Giraldilla Badminton Tournament could be held in 2022 at its traditional headquarters in the capital, from March 16 to 20.
Alexis Ramírez, president of the Cuban Federation of this sport, told ACN by telephone that They hope to resume holding that competition, but it will depend on the evolution of the pandemic.
He also pointed out how Another element to take into account is the participation of foreign players, since it is a self-financed event and can only be held if the costs are covered with what is entered.
In this regard, he said that it will be unlikely that the best badminton players from the American continent will attend because they will give priority to the qualifying contests for the Central American and Caribbean Games in El Salvador, and the Pan American Games in Chile, both in 2023.
However, he assured that the aspiration is for some foreign racket players to come, which would also help improve the level of the tournament and serve as a warm-up for Cuban players.
As for the home representatives, he stated that if the Badminton Giraldilla were to take place, the 10 members of the national team would compete, five women and the same number of men, and if possible other athletes from different provinces.
Among the main players stands out Osleni Guerrero, runner-up at the Guadalajara 2011 Pan American Games and bronze medalist at Toronto 2015, who remains the leading figure of the national team.
Along with him appear Leodannis Martínez, who plays in the individual modality and in doubles with Guerrero; as well as Yeily Mary Ortiz who leads the females.
The Giraldilla Badminton Tournament will maintain its Future Series category, for which it will award 2,500 points for the world ranking to the winners of each of the five events in dispute.
