He was a leading figure in the national basketball teams at the end of the last century.
The International Basketball Federation (Fiba) announced the exaltation of Cuban Leonor Borrell to the hall of fame of the sport, which recognises its most outstanding figures in history.
Borrell will join Ruperto Herrera as the only Cubans to be recognised with this special distinction, as of 17 May, when her election will be made official, along with other stellar former players and a coach, at a ceremony to be held in Bahrain, the site of the Fiba Congress.
Herrera, a member of Fiba’s ethics panel and with responsibilities in the Cuban Olympic Committee (COC), described Leonor as «the best Cuban basketball player of all time», and considered the recognition to be fair and well-deserved.
The 61-year-old former player accumulated an extensive record with the Cuban team with which she won the 1979 Pan American Games in San Juan at the age of 15.
She was the top scorer at the 1986 edition in the USSR, scoring 187 points; she won the bronze medal at Malaysia 1990 and culminated her participation in Australia 1994.
She also attended two editions of the Olympic Games: Moscow 1980 and Barcelona 1992.
A member of the Cuban national teams since the age of 14, she was a flag-bearer on many occasions and was the undisputed leader of the various squads, standing out for her quality and leadership.
The exaltation recognises the career of one of the essential players of our national teams in the golden age of basketball in Cuba.