By José Alejandro Rodriguez Zas
The prominent professor and historic Cuban judo coach, Ronaldo Veitia, traveled to Cuba from Spain in recent weeks, with the aim of attending to the health problems that he has presented and that would even put his life at risk. This, due to a response offered by the Cuban sports authorities to the request for urgent help from the son of Veitía, one of the living glories of martial arts in the world.
It may interest you: LAST MINUTE: Ronaldo Veitía ASKED FOR URGENT HELP to travel to Cuba
“Once in Cuba we will provide the follow-up that the man to whom we owe so much joy deserves, enhanced by his simplicity and commitment to the homeland”, could be read in a note published by JITreproducing information issued by INDER.
However, as the popular sports journalist Julita Osendi shared on her Facebook profile, the current situation of Veitía is not at all rosy, nor is the attention offered to the Hero of Labor of the Republic of Cuba being the best.
Due to its importance, we fully share the content of the aforementioned Osendi publication, as a result of a conversation with Adianez, Veitía’s youngest daughter.
Greetings friends… You know that I have been aware of the process of recovery of Professor Ronaldo Veitia but since I had not communicated with his youngest daughter, Adianez, for days, he was unaware that he was transferred to his house in Cotorro ten days ago and not to a rehabilitation center as expected.
According to Adianez, Dr. Pablo, director of the Institute of Sports Medicine, went to the house to feel the conditions that the Cuban Buddha would have there and that was the decision, but I wonder: who doubts that Has Ronaldo Veitia been one of the most emblematic figures of Cuban sports throughout its history?
Inducted into the IJF Hall of Fame in Baku, Azerbaijan, 2018; 25 Olympic medals, 5 of them gold and 10 silver; 57 medals in World Championships: 16 gold, are not enough to, at least, provide him with more specialized care than what the two physiotherapists in the territory can give him at home, however good that care may be.
As I have been reporting on the networks, the General of his Warriors suffered a neurovascular accident when he was with his eldest son in Alicante, Spain and after several weeks of hospitalization he was transferred to Havana after the essential help of INDER and the Cuban embassy in Madrid.
After his admission to the Ameijeiras Hospital, where he was very well treated, and they stated that Veitia should do simple rehabilitation and that he could go home, the outstanding coach still does not walk, does not move, barely eats and only knows his daughter . His brother Roberto came to see him and did not meet him. My dad talks a lot of incoherencies like “the bus left me” and other meaningless talk.
I don’t understand what they call simple rehabilitation. I am not one to speak but perhaps they think that he has already reached where he was going, that is, at the end of it and they have not done for him what he deserves »
“The bed with an anti-decubitus mattress and the wheelchair arrived through my brother Dieter who spoke with a State official and they were immediately at home; I have received help with diapers from INDER del Cotorro but they are not enough. The same wet wipes and some kind of feeding outside very well received. My dad barely eats and if he eats it’s mashed potatoes, gelatin, custard… wow! like a baby”
Veitia’s youngest daughter has three small children and is assisted to help her father by a lady, Rosa, whom she pays because she has not received any help in that either.
It does mean the support of the former president of Popular Power, Michel; President Yaima and the delegate of the People’s Power of Santa María del Rosario, Alexis. Vilariño, an official from INDER del Cotorro, the judoka Jorge Fizz and another official, Cruz, who is very busy.
“I am fair and I am with those who deserve it. Look Julita, today what my dad has in his stomach is white yogurt that I could get him and he liked it. This is how I live, the little I have I give to him but as I told you he is eating porridge and there is no help for that”
Those of us who know Ronaldo Veitia, those of us who know his family (I saw Adianez being born) know the love he felt for his wife and how moved he was by her death, but Veiti was still preparing three other books that would be added to the six already published: “The only Lupe on the tatami” dedicated to Yurisleydis Lupetei, head of the world of Münich 2001; «The Goddess of Olympus» about the life of the very stellar Idalys Ortiz, London Olympic champion and «Reflections beyond sport».
God put his hand and make that man, like a giant, get up from that bed and give us the joy of seeing him smile again; meanwhile, at least, it is valid to help his daughter as much as possible, who is currently his main support.
