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Morenas del Caribe Costa and Saavedra honorees in their homeland

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”.