Havana, July 31 (Prensa Latina) The Cuban delegation that will participate in the II Junior Pan American Games in Asunción, Paraguay, from August 9 to 23 was unveiled today at the Antonio Maceo Monumental Complex in the province of Artemisa.
More than a formal ceremony, the event was a symbolic transfer of trust, of country, and of history, at a sacred site of the nation: the same place where the Bronze Titan, General Antonio Maceo, fell in combat on December 7, 1896.
There, where the echo of her machete and her example still resonate, Deputy Prime Minister Inés María Chapman and five-time Olympic champion Mijaín López Núñez presented the national flag to wrestler Yainelis Sanz, one of those in charge of carrying it in the inaugural parade.
The 231 young people who make up the Antillean delegation, who will compete in 28 sports, have mostly been trained in schools where they learn both how to win and how to endure. They carry with them the legacy of an Olympic legacy, but also the determination to write their own history.
Cuba is determined to improve on the fifth-place finish it achieved in the first edition of Cali 2021 and to secure new spots on the road to the Lima 2027 Pan American Games. But beyond the statistical objectives, this group represents a greater truth: the vibrant present of Cuban sport and the promise of its future.
Cuban athletes will arrive in Asunción with Caribbean spirit and their heads held high, hardened by effort, accustomed to turning difficulty into momentum and hope into driving force.
As this South American city prepares for the sporting event, with its Paraguay River as a backdrop and monuments like the Palacio de los López and the Pantheon of Heroes welcoming visitors, the largest of the Antilles is gearing up as one of the contenders among the 41 participating nations.
Because competing “with love for Cuba” isn’t just a slogan. It’s a way of being in the world: with dedication, with courage, with that blend of fire, discipline, and tenderness that defines those who bear the island tattooed on their chests. And in every jump, in every fight, in every embrace upon crossing a finish line, the nation that bids them farewell today with cheers, applause, and dreams will also be there.
mem/blc
