Havana, Cuba.-Almost half a hundred Cuban athletes from seven different disciplines are currently playing under contracts in 11 nations, protected by legal rules and by the principle of protecting the athletes.
The President of the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (INDER), Antonio Becali, stated: ‘We are moving forward step by step, not hurrying to avoid making mistakes. It is quite important to analyze the legal issue and look after our athletes´ welfare.’
Mr. Becali and other directors pored over the situation and scopes of such a policy aimed at the athletes´ technical progress and also their contribution to the different national teams.
Meanwhile, Martha Lidia Ruiz, director of INDER´s International Relations Department, gave some details on the 46 athletes already contracted in foreign leagues such as baseball, handball, basketball, cycling, wrestling, soccer and softball.
Baseball, Cuban pastime, is the discipline which has provided the largest contribution overseas with 18 ballplayers participating in different leagues such as Canada, Japan and Italy. The figure will rise to 19 in the next few days with the recent contract of outfielder Julio Pablo Martinez to the Can-Am League.
It also confirmed the presence of 11 handball players in Europe, including 10 men in Portugal and a female player in France.
Six Cuban basketball players are currently playing in different tournaments in Argentina, Brazil and El Salvador; while four women cyclists are included in Italian, Spanish and Argentinean clubs.
Three Cuban wrestlers are currently contracted in Germany, including the three-time Olympic gold medalist Mijain Lopez, while two soccer players play in the Dominican Republic and two softball players in Italy.
‘Contracts are among top priorities in all disciplines. So the requirements established from the interests of foreign clubs and from ours must be met,’ according to Ruiz, who also stated that 17 volleyball players are being studied for future incursions into several foreign leagues.