Several outstanding performances both inside and outside the island were carried out by athletes from the capital this past year, marked by the return of the main national events after the complex situation faced by the country with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since Havana Tribune we have selected in this TOP-10 sporting events that we consider to be the most comprehensive and relevant. Although we must begin by noting that our province was once again the most outstanding in the school, youth and senior categories, accumulating 1935.5pts according to data provided by INDER.
Without further ado, below we present in detail the first five choices of our TOP.
The list opens the one called by many as the best Baseball 5 player in the world, we are talking about Briandy Molinawho both on offense and defense is quite a spectacle on the diamond of this new modality that already has several followers internationally and that gave our country the only world title of the year (collective sports) in the central and renowned Mexican square “El Zócalo”.
His numbers were spectacular in both the National Championship and the World Cup. Within the domestic tournament, he obtained the MVP and Golden Shot awards for finishing as the leader in Offensive Average (.758), Hits (47) and Runs Annotated (32), helping the capital quintet to lift the trophy for the third time. In the World Cup he also took the Most Valuable Player award, where he averaged .755 Offensive Average (90VB-68H).
We cannot stop talking about two other people from the capital who were a fundamental part of these successes, Pablo Terry (Director of the Cuba and Havana teams), as well as a second luxury bat for any team on the planet, we are talking about the peppery Orlando Amador, with a high offensive average and who, together with Briandy, form a top-level duo, which has become the backbone of the Antillean Line Up.
The women from Havana, after dominating the western group, stood out on the field in the National Soccer League and won in “La Polar” categorically to two difficult rivals (Camagüey and Santiago de Cuba) in the semifinal and final of a tournament that was marked by some problems in logistics and organization, but historic, because for the first time 40 games were played.
Vital was the contribution to the capital squad of Ollancy Arrebato with 12 goals, followed by Sheila Briat with 11 goals, second and third in the list of top scorers of the tournament, it is also worth noting the work done by the best goalkeeper of the event Lucylena Martínez, who only conceded 1 goal between the two decisive clashes.
From international referee to director of the women’s national team, this has been the journey of Elizabeth Cuff, who earned this last merit for guiding the blue and white Havana boat towards the national title. In this way, she becomes the first woman in history to direct a Cuban national team for the elderly, undoubtedly an outstanding and well-deserved result.
Good news also arrived on skates, because Adriana Cantillodespite not being able to participate due to an injury in the World Games to be held in Birmingham, if he managed to dominate the tests in the National Selective Speed and Distance Championship without difficulties, as well as obtain his ticket for the Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador and the Pan American Games to be held in Santiago de Chile both in 2023.
She was also in the Havana Skate Marathon in December, taking the subtitle in the women’s section of the most demanding event (42km), only surpassed by the Colombian Karoll García. In this event itself, there was a highlight from Havana in lower categories, since the champions among the youngest (9-10 years old) were Verónica Sánchez and David Alejandro Gutiérrez, and between 11-12 years old Catherine Martínez and Leandro Piloto, all from the Cuban capital.
Between strokes and no longer just in the pool, We can highlight the 18-year-old Andrea Becaliwho had another great year, improving several of his personal bests and dominating national events at will.
Firstly, in the “Marcelo Salado” Cup, which took place at the Baraguá Pool Complex, he won the six events in which he participated in the Olympic pool: 100 and 400 meter freestyle, the 200 individual medley and the three distances of the backstroke. In addition, his 7th scepter came in the 5km of open water swimming held at Bacuranao beach.
In the summer, she was crowned the queen of swimming at the I Caribbean Games held in Guadeloupe, where she won four gold medals, two silver medals and one bronze medal, seven medals in total, of the 31 that Antillean swimmers obtained in the event. .
The year closed with five titles and two personal bests (100 m freestyle and butterfly) in the “Andrés Pérez” Cup, an event that served as a test for the preparation for the Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador 2023, where Cuban swimming He goes in search of medals and Becali is one of those who has “between his eyebrows” that purpose.
If we talk about arbitration currently in our country, the name of Ivett Santiago cannot be missing, since it continues to place the Cuban woman within the world soccer context. This year she has been consecrated with her participation in several national and international events, as well as her appointment as the first Cuban with the category of FIFA assistant referee.
The 33-year-old from the capital was present at the Under-17 Women’s Soccer World Cup held in India as its highest level event this year, she was called to three CONCACAF Women’s Pre-World Cup tournaments (Under-17, Under-20 and older), also He was on the refereeing body for the Final within the closing tournament of the Men’s National Soccer League.
For next year she is preparing with much more intensity since she is very close to becoming the first Cuban woman to be present delivering justice in a Women’s Soccer World Cup (Adults), the next edition will be precisely in this 2023 based in Australia and New Zealand. Let’s hope that this historical fact is taken into account and consumed!
Soon we will be with the second and last part of this list, where we will also have a space dedicated to commenting on some of the goals of the capital’s sport in 2023. Don’t miss it!
See also:
My dream team of the I Elite League of Cuban Baseball
