Cuban sports, hard affected by US blockade

Difficulties in accessing training bases and obstacles to the scientific-technical development of specialists are still among the problems suffered by Cuban sports, hard hit by the economic, commercial and financial blockade of the United States.

In a meeting of officials of the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation ( INDER by its Spanish acronym) with the press, in the Ciudad Deportiva coliseum, in Havana, it was explained Tuesday that because of this unjust policy, the effects in sports are millions of dollars.

Gisleidi Sosa, director of International Relations of the institution, stated that in the last five years the damages amount to more than 15 million US dollars ; while from August 2021 to February 2022 the figures exceed 2 million.

This imperial blockade constitutes the main obstacle to the development of Cuban sports, with a marked extraterritorial character because it affects the participation of the Caribbean nation in different international events, she added.

In the exchange, Yadira Gonzalez, president of Cubadeportes S.A., referred to how complicated is the transaction of money, a situation that affects the country a lot to acquire sports equipment and other supplies.

For his part, Rafael Guerra, president of the Cuban Shooting Federation, spoke of the considerable damage caused by the U.S. blockade to a discipline that needs weapons that are very difficult to obtain for its practice and that would be cheaper if they could be bought in the U.S.

In spite of everything, the executives assured that they will continue looking for alternatives to prevent, as far as possible, the negative effects of that cruel policy.