Number of Cubans playing abroad continues to grow
HAVANA, Cuba, July 13, 2020 – The interest of foreign clubs
attracted by the talent of Cuban players of both genders
continues to grow according to stats revealed by the president
of Cuban Federation, Ariel Sainz.
The program that started in 2016 when four players were hired to
play abroad has expanded 500 percent in 2020 when 21 players are
in the process of signing contracts in different leagues.
“We have been progressively moving forward, especially since
2016 when, following a period of difficulties, we began to
increase the number of players under the strategic development
project of the Cuban Volleyball Federation,” Sainz said.
“It has been a process worked very carefully to ensure that the
hiring policy constitutes a development path for our athletes,
both in sports and social matters. We were able to manage the
growth of some who are now consolidated as world-class players,
including Osniel Melgarejo, Liván Osoria and Miguel Ángel López,”
said Sainz, who is also vice president of Cuban Sport Institute
(INDER).
“We feel satisfied with that growth for which we set goals in
short, medium and long terms and in the first place we realized
that our players lacked the advanced technical development to
allow them to step in the leagues of world top level,” he added.
“Now several of them are ready after a transition through the
Argentinean league which is well structure with equal level
between the clubs which permits an adequate technical-tactical
education of the players and also offers lines of strategical
development for the men’s national team.
Following the same policy but using the system implemented years
ago by our masters Eugenio George and Antonio Perdomo for the
women, in the 2019-20 season we inserted Ailama Cesé and
Yamisleidis Viltre in Uralochka club of Russia.
“Thus far we are satisfied with the number of 21 athletes and
now we are starting to focus on the level of developments of
those athletes. Where are they playing? Are they playing as
regulars or not. We plan to keep the Argentinean league as a
base for the quality jump they should take in the future. For
that reason, the young players would transit through there as
also others not so young considering their functions and
projections.” |