The Guantanamo men’s basketball team continues its training with a view to the Eastern Tournament, which would grant two places to the 2024 Top Basketball League.
Although all sporting events have been temporarily stopped due to the fuel shortage and the resulting difficulties in athletes transport, the easternmost team is getting ready to return to the national league, after it was downgraded to the second division by decision of the National Commission this season.
Alibech Pérez Lescaille, technical manager said that the team has been renewed.
“We have some experienced athletes, including Yoannis Soria, runner-up with Santiago de Cuba, but in general the team is renewed.
“This transformation, regardless the fact that we already had to do it, also responds to the exodus of several of our players with an important roll in the team.
At the moment the team is made up of four established athletes, the rest are young and will seek to gain experience in national events,” he said.
“We are putting a lot of emphasis on discipline and in terms of technical-tactical aspects we are strengthening the defense because we think that defensive work is fundamental for any result.
That´s why we are paying a lot of attention to that aspect,” he said.
For the coach, the possibilities of qualifying are real, since he shares a group with Santiago de Cuba and Las Tunas, second and eighth places, respectively.
“There are two places and we plan to fight with all our effort in order to get one of them.”
Alibech, accompanied by assistant Yoangel Medina in the technical group, expressed his concern about the change of discipline in the men’s section, since youth teams do not have the appropriate level to contribute to the senior one, mainly due to the lack of national championships of the category.
