Cuban table tennis players to Rio qualifiers

HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 30 (acn) Led by the experienced Andy Pereira, a squad made up by four Cuban table tennis players will look for the Olympic qualification in a tournament in Santiago de Chile, from April 1 to 3.

In addition to Pereira, the team will also feature in the men's event with the participation of Jorge Moisés Campos, while women Idalys Lovet and Lisi Castillo will also fight for the tickets to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Barbaro Oliva, national commissioner of this spot, exclusively told ACN.
The national side, still unable to travel to Chile because of visa problems, has made a strong and outstanding work in training with a view to this competition, which will host 80 participants, of both sexes, the executive added.
Also, Oliva showed himself realistic about qualification for the Olympics when stating that it will be a very difficult and competitive contest for Cubans, so the objective aspirations are focused on reaching only one ticket, especially in the men's event.
Indeed, Andy Pereira is the greatest choice to earn the ticket to Rio de Janeiro due to his trajectory and international achievements, reissuing thus his presence in London 2012 (UK), where he achieved the feat of becoming the first Cuban to achieve a win.
Pereira will travel straight to the Chilean tournament from Denmark, where he plays for a professional club in that country, opportunity he uses to intensify his workout towards the most important sports event of the year for Cuba, Oliva said.
He also explained that in case of Pereira and Campos to both obtain their qualification, Cuba could opt for a third seat through a wild card given by the International Federation, whether for Livan Martinez or Yohan Mora, with which the Antillean nation would attend the Olympics with an entire team for the first time.
The men's event will involve 42 players from 18 countries in search of five berths to Rio de Janeiro, while the women's contest will include 38 athletes from 17 nations fighting for six seats to the great sports tourney.
Argentines Pablo Tabachnik and Gaston Alto, Brazilian Gustavo Tsuboi, Paraguay's Marcelo Aguirre, Mexican Marcos Madrid and Ecuador's Alberto Miño are the favorites in the men's event.
Meanwhile, Brazilians Gui Lin and Caroline Kumahara, young Puerto Rican Adriana Diaz, Colombian Lady Ruano, Dominican Eva Brito and Mexican Yadira Silva will be the main contenders of the women's contest.