French solidarity association develops project to support Cuban sports

HAVANA, Cuba, Aug 12 (ACN) The Cuba Coopération France (CubaCoop) association is developing a project to support sports in Cuba, which includes the preparation of athletes for the Paris-2024 Olympic Games.

The vice president of the organization, Manuel Pascual, said in an interview with Prensa Latina that the plan was studied with the Cuban National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation ( INDER by its Spanish acronym), and conversations have been held with mayors of French cities to evaluate the possibilities of welcoming athletes from the island.

There are several disciplines included in the agenda, some already with concrete dates and others still in the coordination stage, the executive explained.

The focus is on Paris-2024 and, according to the vice president of CubaCoop, there was a positive experience this year, with the arrival in France in February of the Cuban men's and women's judo teams, which completed a training base and participated at the Paris Grand Slam and other European competitions.

Likewise, the taekwondo team of both sexes is also expected to participate in a tournament in Paris in November, and the arrival of the youth boxing team to train for the world championship of the category in Alicante, Spain, in November.

Basketball, triathlon and fencing are other disciplines included in the project, while talks continue with local federations to expand the relationship, Pascual remarked.