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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1982)
Portland Observer, September 1,1982 Page 9 Central American and Caribbean Games "Spectacular” is the only word to describe the 14th Central American and Caribbean Games held in Cuba on August 7th through 18th. A, times the enthusiasm o f the crowds; the rhythmic beat of the music; the bright reds, blues and yellows o f the newly renovated stadiums; the col orful flags of the 24 participating nations; the surprise visits o f Fidel Castro even outdid the stellar per formances of the athletes. As predicted, Cuba walked away with the games but there were sur prises — the dismal showing o f C u ba's basketball team; the first match loss by Angel Hererra, Cuba’s two- time Olympic gold boxer; Cuba's first gold medal in swimming for 28 years. There weie times o f great emotion — the easy win of Alberto Juantor- ena in the 800 meters; two stunning first-round victories by Tcofilo Ste venson; three gold medals won by Leandro Penalvar; and a new world record by weight lifter Daniel Nunez. The opening ceremony set the tone o f music, color and brother hood lor the games to follow. Fol lowing the entry o f hundreds of young people carrying red and blue flags, the flags of the participating countries were carried into the sta dium by riders on galloping horses representing the "m am bís" who fought for freedom against Spain. The delegations of athletes marched in beginning with Mexico, where the games began, followed by Nether lands Antilles, (he Bahamas, Barba dos, Belize, Bermudas, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Grenada. Guatemala, Guyana, H aiti, US V ir gin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Surinam, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela and Cuba. The most enthusiastic was Puerto Rico, carrying small flags and stopping to salute President Fidel Castro; the crowd favorite was Nicaragua, which received a prolonged ovation. The torch was lit — for the first time — by a woman athlete. The fire had come from Mexico by ship to Cuba, following the same route taken by Fidel when he returned from exile in Mexico in 1956 to bring freedom and independence to Cuba. The formal opening ceremonies were followed by a demonstration in ballet, dance and gymnastics, with 5,(XX) students (ranging from age three through university age), de picting the role of sports in health. The demonstration was backed by 5,(XX) technical students who, with colored cards, formed 62 different pictures and designs. * a • The sports activities were held in IK facilities in Havana and sites in Santiago de Cuba and Cienfuegos. Many events were held at Sport City. Located in the heart o f Hava na, Sport City has acres o f playing fields, a domed coliseum, an out door football stadium, twoolympic- sized swimming pools and a diving pool with spectator stands. A djoin ing Sport City is "M ariposa" sta dium, a smaller, covered stadium of futuristic design used for wrestling, judo and similar sports. Hard-fought basketball games that culminated in the double fea ture with the women’s teams from Cuba and Puerto Rico and the men’s teams from the same nations competing for the gold were played on the bright blue and red floor of the Sport City coliseum. The well coordinated Cuban women’s team easily surpassed Puerto Rico 87-57, but Cuba’s men lost 77-71. It was an exciting moment for Puerto Rico, but not enough to take the gold from Cuba, which won on points made, points given up. The standing was Cuba - Puerto Rico - Mexico for both men and women. The games were played to a full house of over 14,000, complete with two bands that rocked the stadium throughout the games. And some thing that never happens in the US; the attendance, enthusiasm and pride were as great for the women as for the men. Cuba took I I of the 12 gold med als in boxing. One of the greatest surprises of the games was the defeat o f two-time Olympic gold medalist and reigning world light weight champion Angel Herrera, who was T K O ’d in the first round of his first match. A cut above the left eye, the result o f a head butt ruled unintentional, ended (he match and Herrera’s participation in the games. Teofilo Stevenson ______ Teofilo Stevenson, super heavy weight, holder o f three Olympic gold medals, easily won his two bouts with first-round knockouts. N. Rosa of Puerto Rico hit the floor after a hard right. J. Pearson o f V ir gin Islands USA sunk to the canvas following a hard left and a soft right; the verdict: " T K O .” The fights did nothing to test the ability of Stevenson, who is attempting a comeback ufter a two-year absence from the ring following a car acci dent. The closest bout was the bantam weight between Bautista Hernandez o f Cuba and Manuel Vilches of Venezuela. The fight went a furious three rounds, with Vilches battling the world champion Hernandez to the bell. Hernandez won a 4-1 deci sion. Other Cuban victors were light weight Rafael Saenz, a unanimous decision over Marlon Amodos of Nicaragua; Adolfo Horta, unani mous winner over featherweight Samuel Fuentes of Puerto Rico; light welterweight Carlos Garcia over Pedro Cruz of Puerto Rico with a T K O in the second round; welterweight Jose Luis Hernandez K O ’d Genaro Leon of Mexico in the 2nd; lightweight Armondo Martinez A lb erto Juantorena won a unanimous decision over Venezuela’s J. L. Stevenson; Ber nard Gomez T K O ’d middleweight Frank Ruiz o f Puerto Rico in two; light heavyweight Pablo Romero T K O ’d Eddie Ruiz o f Puerto Rico; heavyweight Hemeregildo Baez de feated R. M arin o f Puerto Rico with a TK O . In the lightweight division Juan Rodriguez o f the Dominican Repub lic won a 3-2 decision over Jose Guzman of Venezuela that brought boos from the crowd. • • • Alberto Juantorena, called the "gentleman o f Cuban sport," elec trified the nation with an easy win in the 800 meters, breaking his own meet record at 1:45.15. Juantorena made sports history in 1976 by win ning Olympic gold medals in the 400 and 800 meter races, clocking an awesome 44.26 seconds in the first and 1:43.50 — a world record — in the second. During the 1977 World University Games in Sofia, Bulgaria, he broke his own record by clocking 1:43.44 in the 800 meters. Experts speculated that Juantor ena could make the 800 meters in 1:40, but he gave signs o f slowing in 1978. Although his achilles tendon was operated on, he never regained his former speed. In the meantime, Sebastian Coe had accomplished the feat the experts predicted for Juan torena, doing 800 in less than 1:42. A recent operation by Cuban surgeon Dr. Rodrigo Alvarez Cam- bras, using new techniques he had developed, was apparently success ful. His previous times this year were 1:46.29, 1:48.19 and 1:46.46. Juantorena, at 31, looks forward to the Pan American games next year and the 1984 Olympics. • * • Alberto Juantorena led the Cu ban 4<X) meter relay team to victory with a record time of 3:03.59. The Cuban team was composed o f Agus- tin Pavo, Roberto Ramos, Carl Reytc and Jua.itorena. Juantorena came from behind with a lap of 44.13 to bring victory to the Cubans. Cuba also won the men’s 100 re lay and the women’s 400 relay. In track, Leandro Penalvar Gon zalez o f Cuba thrilled the crowds at Pedro Marrero stadium by winning three gold medals — 100 meters (10.16), 200 meters (20.42) and 100 meter relay (39.15). Penalvar, 21, first competed in track in 1973 after playing baseball for 12 years as a pitcher and second baseman. He continued in baseball until 1979, when he began studies to become a P.E. teacher. It was in school that his great speed was dis covered. In 1981 he began training for competition. After only 5 months training Pen alvar ran the 100 and 200 in 10.24 and 20.92. Selected for the Cuban team to compete in the Spartacaids o f the Friendly Armies in Hungary, he won the gold medals in 10.24 and 20.91 and ran the post in the 100 meter relay. In 1982 he won the na tional championship. Penalvar's 200 meter win set a new record at 20.42. Osvaldo Lara o f Cuba was second at 20.94, and Nunoez o f Dominican Republic third, the same position as in the 100 meters. Daniel Nunez o f Cuba set a new world record in the 60 kilo class weight lifting with a snatch o f 136 kilograms, bettering the mark of Bulgarian Boloslav Manolov o f 135.5. Nunez, the 1980 Olympic gold medalist, also won the press at 160 kilos, a new meet record. N u nez’ total was 292 kilos, also a meet record. Nunez and Manolov will meet a second time in September in Yugo slavia. In their last meeting, in the world championships in France, Manolov took the gold and Nunez the silver. Julio Loscos, also o f Cuba, made three new records anu won three gold medals in the 67.5 kilo class. The.records are 132.5 in the snatch, 165 in the press and 297.5 total. Cuba took all 30 gold medals in weightlifting and broke 43 meet records. Sport is the right o f the people — Fidel Luis M ariano Delis o f Cuba is a double champion, setting a new shotput record with a throw o f 18.88 meters, the previous mark be ing 17.51. Delis won the javelin with 82.40 meters, breaking his previous record o f 78.74. • • • Cuba retained the volleyball titles for both sexes. The world champion women’s team defeated Mexico 15-14, 15-10 and 15-12. The men easily defeated Mexico 15-10, 15-8 and 15-4. The Dominican women were third, the Venezuelan men fourth. • • • Penalvar and Lara • • • One o f the most dramatic mo ments of the games came when Cu bans Nery McKeen and Maria Re- baux and Puerto Rican Angelita Lind threw themselves over the 800 meter finish line in what proved to be a photo finish before collapsing on the track in exhaustion. The Puerto Rican, the favorite to win, led until the last 30 meters. The camera showed McKeen the win ner. Time — 2:04.22. The clock showed Lind at 2:04.24 and Rebaux at 2:04.47. Jamaican Sondra Freeman won the women's 4(X) hurdles at 58.15, a new meet record. CUBA Maxico Venezuela Puerto Rico R Dominicani Jamaica Coata Rica 1. Virg USA Qold Silver Bronze Total 39 283 71 173 29 SS 19 39 131 7 43 S3 4 4 a 22 34 3 a 13 3 1 4 8 a 4 > 4 9 a 9 1 i 2 2 1 a 3 1 0 Guyana i • Haiti i 0 0 Nicaragua • Bence A Holandesas 1 • Barbados 0 Panama Bermudas 0 Granada • • Suriname 47 54 112 103 Guatemala Trinidad Tobagot Bahamas Venezuela won the gold medal in football (soccer) and its victory was nearly as surprising as Italy's in the World Cup. Victory came with a 1-0 score over favored Mexico. The Venezuelan team attacked with great speed and made its only goal 8 minutes into the final half. Cuba de feated the Bahamas for third. 3 a a a 1 0 0 11 0 3 a a a 2 2 0 2 1 a n 20 a 1 ' 3 2 2 2 1 Fresh from a fifth-place win in the world championships in Guaya quil, Ecuador, the previous week, (he Cuban water polo team easily defeated Mexico 12-5 and Puerto Rico 3-1 in the finals. The Cuban team set a new record, holding the title for four consecutive Central American and Caribbean games. Mexico took the silver and Puerto Rico the bronze in this demanding sport. • • • The Dominican Republic won the gold in baseball after a surprise de feat o f Cuba by Panama put Cuba out o f the running. Cuba's defeat, along with a second loss to Puerto Rico, raised a call for an investiga tion o f Cuba’s baseball program — for so long the best in the world. Dominican Republic defeated Venezuela 5 to 4 for the gold; Cuba was second and Panama third. • • • Cuba won a convincing 3-1 vic tory over favored Mexico to take first place in field hockey. Cuba’s short passes and rapid attack dom inated the game. In spite o f Mex ico’s superior technique, they could not hold back the constant ap proach. An unusual game was played be tween Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados for third place. A fter reg ulation time and two overtime peri ods the game was still scoreless. A fter 10 penalty strokes each the score was tied 6 all; after an addi tional 10 strokes the score was 15-15; and after a third set o f penal ty strokes Barbados won 21 to 20. • * • Bahamas won first place in men’s softball by defeating Cuba 7 to 1 in the last game o f the tourney and a 5-1 win over Cuba in the semi-final. The final victory came with 10 hits including 2 home runs and 3 triples. The Puerto Rican women took the gold. • • • Mexico dominated the swimming events with 24 medals including 13 gold. The team was led by Isabel Reuss and Alberto Mestre with six gold each and Teresa Rivera with five gold. For Venezuela, Rafael Vidal won 6 gold. Pedro Hernandez won C uba’s first gold medal in swimming in 28 years, with a new area record o f 2:24.97 in the 200 meter breast stroke. In all, 41 new swimming rec ords were set. Venezuela was second with 19 medals (10-2-7) and Costa Rico fol lowed with 7 (3-2-2). Mexico also took the gold in syn chronized swimming; Cuba was sec ond and Puerto Rico third. • • • A political victory was the pres ence o f Puerto Rican spectators who challenged Reagan's ban on tourism to Cuba by attending the games. These people, many of them parents o f the young athletes, face 10 years in prison or fines o f $10,000. " W e ’re here because we don’t accept the Reagan administration's unfair decision to ban Puerto Rican tourists from traveling to Cuba to attend the Central American Games, and we don’t mind facing all the risks and reprisals," said Ru ben Berrios, president o f the Puerto Rican Independence Party, when he arrived in Havana. He added that the unfair and arbitrary order proved, in a direct way, what US colonialism really means. "W hen freedom of movement is restricted for sports fans, the people can see what colonial domination means.” The tourists were met at the air port by Cuban officials; and the common colonial heritage o f Cuba and Puerto Rico, and the brother hood between the two islands, was apparent throughout the games. I
