Cuban shooters finally travel to Cairo World Cup

Havana, October 16 (RHC)-- The three best Cuban shooters finally traveled Saturday night to the World Championship in Cairo (Egypt) via Paris, after several days waiting for air space for their transfer from Havana.

"Finally heading to the ISSF World Championship Cairo 2022. After so many days in tension finally today we will leave for Cairo," wrote on Facebook the Pan American champion in rapid fire pistol in Lima-2019, Jorge Felix Alvarez.

The young pistolero gave the news by uploading a post from Havana's José Martí air terminal, which he illustrated with a snapshot together with Olympic champion Leuris Pupo, continental monarch Jorge Grau, and coach Meinardo Torres, the others who traveled on Saturday.

"The rest of the group will leave tomorrow (Sunday)," he added, referring to teammates Laina Perez, Dianelys Perez and Alexander Moleiro, and coaches Dariel Suarez and Yoleixis Lois.

"I want to thank all the people who contributed to make our participation possible after so many and so many problems. Better late than never...", thanked Jorge Felix and clarified that after the trip they will make a 10-hour stopover in Paris and then they will travel to the World Cup venue.

Due to the late arrival, the Cubans will no longer be able to compete in the air modalities and will only be able to compete in the 25-meter rapid fire pistol, individual and team, and three-position rifle.

In 2022, Cuban shooters have only had one competition, the qualifier for San Salvador-2023 (June in Guatemala), where they reached all possible tickets for the regional competition. The most outstanding were Pupo and Jorge Felix, who won 1-2 in the rapid fire pistol and also reigned in the team competition together with the young Alejandro Matos. Grau won silver in air pistol and took gold in mixed pistol with Laina Perez.

A training base in Spain was planned, but in the end it did not materialize.

Of this generation of shooters, only Pupo, Olympic champion in London-2012 and runner-up in Tokyo-2020, was able to attend a World Championship once, in 2002 in Finland.

The Cairo World Cup, which will end on the 27th, is largely dominated by China, with 16 medals (8-5-3), followed by India (4-0-3).