Guantánamo.- The 2024 sports year in Guantánamo closed with the ceremony award of the best athletes in the province, when the Provincial Sports Directorate recognized them for their results over twelve months.
The canoeist Yarisleidis Cirilo Duboys and two-time Olympic champion boxer Arlen López Cardona were selected as the best athletes in individual sports. They both added to the Cuban Olympic medal in Paris 2024, two bronze medals.
Yarisleidis also won bronze at the World Cup in Hungary and Arlen won and retained the title of IBA Pro World Champion at 80kg, in addition to being the champion of his division in the Playa Girón National Tournament.
The performance of paraweightlifter Pablo Ramírez Barrientos at the Paralympic Games in Paris 2024 was the event of the year, in which he won Cuba’s first medal in that category. Ramírez Barrientos, along with Noraivis de las Heras Chibás and Jasiel Bell López, were the most outstanding parathletes.
In the category of best athletes in collective disciplines, baseball 5 was the protagonist with the players Chakira Liana Aspiazú Martínez and Yoel David Blanco Frómeta, both champions in the 2024 National Final, the Second Caribbean Cup, in Varadero, the Pan American Championship in Barquisimeto, in Venezuela and the gold in the second World Cup held in Hong Kong. At the same time, the baseball 5 athlete, Yilena Otamendez Raymond, won the section of best rookie of the year.
Baseball 5- team was also recognized as the most outstanding team and collective sport. Meanwhile, boxing was the sport awarded for its excellent results, including first place in Playa Girón.
The beach volleyball was awarded as the best non-individual event, thanks to duo Eblis Veranes Kens and Damián Limonta Gómez, runners-up in the Norceca Circuit in Varadero. They also were gold and silver medallists in the Punta Cana Opens and qualified for the 2025 Pan American Games in Asunción, Paraguay.
Arlen López Cardona, defended his IBA Pro 80kg World Champion title at IBA Champions’ Night Dubai, managing to knock out the plucky Nikita Zon in the final moments of their match
The best athlete recruited was Elizabeth Robert Candó, from softball, winner of gold with her team Charros de Jalisco in the first Mexican Softball League, selected in the all-stars of the tournament and as the most valuable player in the final and the most outstanding foreigner.
The most outstanding athletes of the year were the sprint canoeist José Ramón Pelier Córdova; the Basque pelota player Wendy Durán Arroyo; the triple jumper Lázaro Martínez Santrayll; the weightlifters Yeniuska Mirabal Feria and Taylisett Díaz Gracía; Loraidis Echavaría Roque, of rowing; the judoka Jonathan Charón Bombazón; the boxer Rafael Jouver Simon and the volleyball players Jose Israel Masso Alvarez and Nasthan Andres Mendoza Masso.
The runner Lismay Osorio was named best athlete in special activities for her results in provincial and national marathons; and best referee Indilgaris Martinez Maza, in wrestling.
Also special mention was given to soccer players Yurdis David Hodelin Ramirez and Yordan Urgelles Wilson; boxers Yakelin Stornel Elisastigui and Julianne Dias Mendez; Anisley Ochoa Suarez, in athletics; judoka Luis Turres Cobas; and Arolvis Begue Gonzalez, in weightlifting. The women’s boxing team, the weightlifting team, and the baseball team that participated in the 63rd National Baseball Series also received recognition.
