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PINAR DEL RÍO, Cuba, June 6, 2022 - The Morenas
del Caribe Marlenis Costa and Isel Saavedra
received the tribute of their people during the
Norceca Volleyball Challenger Final Four, which
was animated by the teams from Cuba, the
Dominican Republic, Mexico and Puerto Rico.
At Sala 19 de Noviembre, authorities from the
government, sports, and political and mass
organizations recognized the outstanding
contribution of these two players who
participated in multiple international events.
Costa came from a family of athletes in
athletics and baseball, and became one of the
most outstanding setter for the team named
Morenas del Caribe.
With this respected team, she garnered Olympic
titles at Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, and
Sydney 2000, and at the 1994 and 1998 World
Championships.
Saavedra was also a member of that squad from
the second half of the 1980s to the mid-1990s.
Over that period she participated in several
events at the Norceca level and in Europe and
Asia, and was a gold medalist at the World Cup
in Japan 1991, the Pan American Games that same
year in Cuba, and at the Central Caribbean Games
in Puerto Rico 1993. She was runner-up Junior
World Cup in 1989.
Marleni was a regular setter for those three
Olympic events. She, still moved by the applause
of her people, stated that “I am very happy and
grateful for this great tribute that our
province has paid us. I am very happy to return
to my roots. I have always felt very proud to be
from Pinar del Río.”
Isel, for her part, declared that "I want to
thank all the people of Pinar del Río and the
people of San Luis, where I am from, for this
recognition, I feel satisfied and very proud to
have been Morena del Caribe."
Among the multiple gifts, Saavedra was moved by
a photo where the team and its technical group
appear embracing, celebrating one of the many
victories they won in the most exalted
tournaments.
“I remember all those coaches from the base to
the national team. Eugenio George, Ñico Perdomo,
Luis Felipe Calderón, Fidel García… they are not
with us, but it is as if they were, we do not
forget them”. |
