The first appearances of the water polo squads, in both sexes, will mark Cuba's competitive debut today at the 25th edition of the Central American and Caribbean Games, a multi-sport event that will be officially inaugurated next Friday in Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic.

As a preview of the athletic activity scheduled for the so-called Centennial Games, the women's national team will play the second match of the day at the Juan Pablo Duarte Aquatic Center, when they face their Colombian counterparts at 9:20 a.m. (Cuba time), in a duel that will mark the debut of both squads in the preliminary round.

The men's team, for its part, will debut in the last match of the day against Guatemala starting at 8:00 p.m. (Cuba time), with the goal of beginning the tournament with a victory in a difficult group in which the representatives of Mexico and Puerto Rico—the defending champions—also stand out.

The Puerto Ricans defeated the Cubans in the final of the previous edition in San Salvador 2023 by a score of nine goals to eight, while the bronze medal went to Mexico, who defeated Venezuela 11-9. In the case of the women's tournament at the Salvadoran games, it was not held due to regulatory issues, which required the participation of at least five teams out of a total of 37 nations involved.

According to the Santo Domingo 2026 official website, the water polo schedule will extend through next Sunday, with the medal finals first among the men on the 25th and among the women on the 26th.