The Cuban representatives have been training for days in the facilities of the Sports City of the San Sebastian University, where they also receive the affection and recognition of Chileans of all ages who share work sessions with them.
Marcos, Leticia, Arminda, Sebas could be just names, but every time they extend their greetings or requests to take pictures with the Cuban athletes (physically and visually impaired), they give them encouragement, energy and also pride.
Those “Viva Cuba!” make your skin crawl when you hear it in these southern latitudes, to which the young Cubans respond with smiles or gestures of approval, no matter that they cannot see, shake hands or walk towards those who call out to them, due to their disability, but they feel it, it squeezes their hearts and makes them giants on wheelchairs or canes in hand.
The Cuban delegation to the Paralympic Games Santiago 2023 will have 53 athletes -10 more than in Lima 2019-, since the 49 athletes already present in Santiago will soon be joined by the four representatives of shooting-sports, who have not yet arrived at the venue of these multisport games.
This group exhibits 55 percent of renewal and, for the first time, will have representatives in the arrow with bow, trained by a legend of Cuban sport, Juan Carlos Stevens.
World record holders and Paralympic champions Omara Durand -along with her guide Yunior Kindelán- and Robiel Yankiel Sol, who will be the delegation’s flag bearers in the opening parade, as well as tennis athlete Yunier Fernández and Leidis Rodríguez, also winners of previous editions, stand out among them.
ef/abo/mgt/jcm
