Dominican town of Bayaguana will welcome Cuban Mijaín López

Santo Domingo, Nov 16 (Prensa Latina) Greco-Roman wrestling giant Mijaín López, from Cuba, will visit the municipality of Bayaguana, in the province of Monte Plata and cradle of that sport in the Dominican Republic, in response to an invitation from the City Council.

November 16, 2024
08:31

The City Council will declare López “Adopted Son of the Municipality,” according to Isaac Ogando, president of the Sports Union in that province and an Immortal of Dominican Sport.

On Saturday, the people of that center-south territory will welcome the best Olympic wrestler in history, in a public event that will take place in front of the City Council.

López was welcomed at the José Francisco Peña Gómez International Airport of Las Américas on Friday night by the president of the Committee for the Induction of the Hall of Fame, Dionisio Guzmán; Cuban Ambassador Angel Arzuaga, and sports leader Ogando.

The Cuban athlete, who won his fifth gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling (130 kg) at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024, traveled to the Dominican Republic as a special guest to the Ceremony of Induction of the Hall of Fame, which will take place at its headquarters at the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center, in this capital, on Sunday.

Guzmán said recently that Mijaín’s presence will be an event for the event, which will start at 10:00 hours, local time.

“He will join other luxury guests such as his compatriot Alberto Juantorena (2019), double Olympic champion in 400 and 800 meters flat in Montreal 1976 and two-time world champion in Düsseldorf 1977,” he noted.

Guzmán also mentioned Nate Archibald, from the United States (invited in 2021), the only player along with Oscar Robertson in the history of the NBA who has led the statistics of points per game (34.0) and assists in the same season.

During the 58th edition of the ceremony, the athletes Mayo Sibilia and Luis Angel Montalvo will be enthroned.

While the former athletes chosen are Ana Villanueva (karate) and Wendy Santana (weightlifter), Víctor Estrella (tennis), Félix Manuel Díaz (boxing), Cristian Cruz (volleyball); former professional baseball players Fernando Hernández and Octavio Dotel, and Joel Ramírez and José Armando Castillo, in basketball and softball, respectively.

On Monday, Mijaín López will be declared a “distinguished visitor” by the chapter house of the city of Baní, Peravia province, the birthplace of Generalisimo Máximo Gómez.

During his stay in the Dominican Republic until next Wednesday, the five-time world champion will meet with coaches and athletes who reside in this country and will visit the Dominican Wrestling Federation.

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