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Number of Cubans playing abroad continues to grow

HAVANA, Cuba, July 13, 2020 – The interest of foreign clubs attracted by the talent of Cuban players of both genders continues to grow according to stats revealed by the president of Cuban Federation, Ariel Sainz.

The program that started in 2016 when four players were hired to play abroad has expanded 500 percent in 2020 when 21 players are in the process of signing contracts in different leagues.

“We have been progressively moving forward, especially since 2016 when, following a period of difficulties, we began to increase the number of players under the strategic development project of the Cuban Volleyball Federation,” Sainz said.

“It has been a process worked very carefully to ensure that the hiring policy constitutes a development path for our athletes, both in sports and social matters. We were able to manage the growth of some who are now consolidated as world-class players, including Osniel Melgarejo, Liván Osoria and Miguel Ángel López,” said Sainz, who is also vice president of Cuban Sport Institute (INDER).

“We feel satisfied with that growth for which we set goals in short, medium and long terms and in the first place we realized that our players lacked the advanced technical development to allow them to step in the leagues of world top level,” he added.

“Now several of them are ready after a transition through the Argentinean league which is well structure with equal level between the clubs which permits an adequate technical-tactical education of the players and also offers lines of strategical development for the men’s national team.

Following the same policy but using the system implemented years ago by our masters Eugenio George and Antonio Perdomo for the women, in the 2019-20 season we inserted Ailama Cesé and Yamisleidis Viltre in Uralochka club of Russia.

“Thus far we are satisfied with the number of 21 athletes and now we are starting to focus on the level of developments of those athletes. Where are they playing? Are they playing as regulars or not. We plan to keep the Argentinean league as a base for the quality jump they should take in the future. For that reason, the young players would transit through there as also others not so young considering their functions and projections.”