Cuban Paralympic Sport Continues to Grow

"Cuban Paralympic sport continues to grow," assured Raúl Fornés Valenciano, first vice-president of the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (INDER) and head of the delegation that just delivered an outstanding performance at the VI Youth Parapan American Games in Chile.

Represented in only four sports, the largest of the Antilles ranked seventh in the medal count by country with 29 medals (12 gold, 13 silver, 4 bronze), a total superior to that obtained at the Bogotá 2023 edition (22 medals: 11-7-4). Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, and Venezuela finished ahead in that order, with large delegations present in many of the featured disciplines.

"Our athletes behaved incredibly, even the para-table tennis players, even though they didn't win medals," Fornés stated. "They are very young kids who also showed grit, a desire to compete, and we have a future ahead of us with them. They left a good impression on the host city and on ourselves. We must continue working with them."

He referred similarly to para-judo, in which their 14-year-old representative attended with only a few months of training but had a combative presence, which forecasts a good future for him.

"Para-athletics was the jewel, with eight gold, eight silver, and two bronze medals through very good, exceptional work, which we say with great pride," he opined.

"The closing in para-powerlifting, with four gold, five silver, and two bronze medals, thanks to an extraordinary team. Some girls who have left everyone here enamored, which shows that the future is secure," he indicated.

"In this sport, the last national anthem to be heard, closing the competitions, was the Cuban one. And that also leaves a mark, a message that Cuba's Paralympic sport continues to grow and that it has the human material to advance," he noted.

Fornés Valenciano highlighted the superior efficiency compared to the previous edition, at 107 percent regarding the total number of medals versus the number of participants.

"I believe it has been almost a record for our delegation, and what we came to do here was precisely to evaluate the reserve of sports for people with disabilities in Cuba. It is a good omen; we have potential, the results speak for themselves, and it is a commitment to continue working with these kids, the new generations, to secure the present and the future," he assessed.

"I believe it is a gift for the people of Cuba, and especially for those who have suffered the impact of Hurricane Melissa in the eastern part of the country. This is the way these young people have found to contribute their support, their joy, and their grain of sand to the recovery," he concluded.