Havana, Jan 21 (ACN) After two years without being held due to COVID-19, the 2022/01/giraldilla-badminton-tournament-could-take-place-in-march/” title=”Giraldilla Badminton Tournament could take place in March”>XXI edition of the Giraldilla Badminton Tournament It could be held this 2022 at its traditional headquarters here in the capital, from March 16 to 20.
Alexis Ramírez, president of the Cuban Federation of that 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 the participation of foreign players as another element to take into account, because 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.
Read more: Intense competitive schedule for Cuban weightlifters in 2022
On other issues, Ramírez pointed out that the Cuban presence in international events has not yet been defined, because they are waiting for the notification of the budget.
Likewise, referring to the importance of competing outside the country, he explained that in the current year there is classification for the Central American and Caribbean Games and the 2023 Pan American Games, and for both the tickets will be awarded through ranking.
That means, he said, that only if we compete and do it well will we achieve quotas, the manager concluded.
