2024-04-12 01:44:41
Text: Editorial Cuba Noticias 360
The Cuban Olympic wrestling team suspended its participation in the “Henry Deglane” French Grand Prix based in Nice at the last minute, due to the COVID-19 health crisis.
According to the INDER site Jit, the Cuban Federation of that sport reported this Saturday night, one day before taking the plane, that the team will not attend that event scheduled for January 14 to 18.
This decision was adopted after evaluating the existing epidemiological situation in Havana (home of the national teams) and especially in the French city, according to an official statement.
Cuba intended to compete with 14 gladiators in the first official event of the season for that sport. Its roster was headed by Olympic monarch Ismael Borrero, who, coincidentally, was the first Cuban athlete to be announced, infected with Covid-19 in March after a competition abroad.
In the coming days, the program of the Cuban teams will be readjusted, involved in the preparation for the Tokyo Olympic Games, the note stated.
The official report did not clarify whether due to similar circumstances the trip to Qatar of the main Cuban judokas was also suspended.
Qatar, along with Georgia, Armenia and Israel, is among the top four countries with the highest incidence of COVID-19 in Asia, relative to population.
Six Cuban judokas led by world and Olympic champion Idalys Ortiz would compete in the Masters tournament in Doha, Qatar, from January 11 to 13, which would be the first international competition of Cuban sports in 2021.
The first 32 in the ranking of each category are invited to the Qatar tournament and those who win gold medals obtain 1,800 points valid for the world and Olympic rankings.
376 competitors from 69 countries are expected to participate in the Qatar Masters, including Japan, China and South Korea.