“I think we deserve these results thanks to Fidel and thanks to everything he did to keep our Revolution moving forward’ – Mijaín López
(August 4) – The performances that Cuba has been recording may not be reported in the Canadian sports media due to political manipulation but no-one can hide it.
Mijaín López Núñez, 38 (born 20 August 1982), is a Cuban Greco-Roman wrestler. He made history at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on August 2 after winning the fourth gold medal in this prolific career. He is now a four-time Olympic gold medalist, five-time World Champion, and five-time Pan American Games champion, a feat not matched by any other athlete in the 130 kg division. He is the younger brother of Michel López Núñez, a Cuban amateur boxer.
Waving the Cuban flag under the five Olympic hoops in Tokyo.
An imposing figure of giant height, pure muscle arms, a penetrating and fiery gaze, he’s the fighter most feared by rivals since in 2005, when he won his first medal in a world championship.
Blocked by the same media that alters the table of medals, besieged and without sources of financing, Cuba now has as many gold medals as Canada, which presented itself as invincible at the Pan Am Games in Toronto and participates with the slogan “Own the Podium” in the service of wealthy monopolies.
The island is now in 13th place, the leading country in Latin America, but very close to those who occupy positions from eight to 12. The news for the manipulators is not good, because the history of the Greater Antilles seems to grow.
After the triumph of the revolution in January 1959 Cuba established a new, human conception of sport that led to the people’s access increasing along with many other social indicators.
The National Institute for Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (INDER) was founded on February 23, 1961 as the governing body of all sports in Cuba. Also founded after the revolution was the Institute of Sport Medicine. This led to the training of thousands of teachers with the view of extending physical education to all schools of the country. Physical education became a new subject in the school syllabus, as did other sports-related topics at different levels.
Because sport is seen as a right of the people, in Cuba the teaching of competitive sports is free of charge. By 1995, it was able to train more than half million people in competitive sports activity.
Congratulations to Mijaín López Núñez, to Cuba and to all the athletes from throughout the world participating in the Games.
Photographs by Cuban photographer Roberto Morejón Rodriguez. To see his photography, visit his website here.
Postscript
World Champion Mijaín López Núñez has publicly denounced the US blockade against Cuba saying the blockade significantly affects his country and is the main obstacle to sports development.
In a virtual meeting broadcasted live on the @SiempreConCuba platform on Facebook, Youtube and Twitter, Lopez, five-time World and Pan American champion, alleged that the US economic, commercial and financial blockade is a flagrant violation of the rights of Caribbean athletes.
He added that the impact of this coercive measure minimizes the possibilities of Cuban competitors in international events.
Lopez, native of the western province of Pinar del Rio, thanked all the solidarity movements that raise their voices against the White House’s hostile policy.
Further reading
Friendship First, Competition Second – An Amateur Sport Website 