José R. Fernández
reelected president of Cuban Olympic Committee
JOSÉ Ramón Fernández has been reelected president
of the Cuban Olympic Committee for the 2009-2012
term, in which the London Olympics will be the main
goal.
Fernandez noted that the training of athletes
from the ground up, which constitutes the great
sports reserve, is a priority, and he emphasized the
importance of training for coaches, as well as the
application of science and technology.
Fernández was elected unanimously by the 38
presidents of national federations in a session
attended by Commander of the Revolution and Hero of
the Republic of Cuba Guillermo García.
The 1976 double Olympic champion Alberto
Juantorena was reelected vice president, together
with Roberto León Richards, a former gymnast and
vice president of the National Sports Institute (INDER).
Ruperto Herrera will be the new general secretary,
while the recording secretary will be Rafael Guerra
and the treasurer José Luis Rivas. Other committee
members include Mario Granda, Conrado Martínez, José
Peláez, María Caridad Colón, Legna Verdecia, Cecilia
Juara and Daíma Beltrán. Also, there are
International Olympic Committee members Reinaldo
González and Yumilka Ruiz, and as appointees, INDER
president Christian Jiménez, Misael Lima (executive
director), Pedro Cabrera (press director), René
Romero (technical director) and Oscar Acosta
(marketing).
With a view to the London Olympic Games in 2012,
Fernández said that priority will be given to
training in the island’s principal sports, such as
baseball, boxing, athletics, judo, wrestling,
volleyball, soccer and basketball.
2010 CENTRAL AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN GAMES
Fernández spoke optimistically about the 2010
Central American and Caribbean Games in Mayagüez,
Puerto Rico, where Cuba should participate with a
delegation "at a sufficiently high level to maintain
our place as No. 1 in the region."
The official said that Cuba "expects good sense"
on the part of authorities in guaranteeing access
and security to the Cuban delegation and the
possibility of being able to attend like any other
nation.
"The rigorous conditions for us being able to
attend the Games" are for organizers of the regional
competition in Myagüez to "guarantee the appropriate
atmosphere of the Games for our athletes," Fernández
explained to a group of journalists after a meeting
at the Cuban Olympic Committee headquarters.
(AMG)
