The first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and president of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, received on Tuesday night at the Palace of the Revolution medalists of the Pan American Games in Chile, athletes who had an outstanding performance there, although they did not climb the awards podium, and coaches, commissioners of various disciplines and sports glories who also attended the multiple appointments in Santiago.
The President greeted each of them -about 130 people- in the Salón de los Tres Próceres, a place where personalities from Cuba and the world who come to the Presidency of the Republic are received.
Accompanied by the Prime Minister, Manuel Marrero Cruz, and the head of the Department of Attention to the Social Sector of the Central Committee of the Party, Jorge Luis Broche Lorenzo, the head of state welcomed them and congratulated them for their performance in Santiago de Chile.
«The Cuban people and all of us lived exciting moments – said Díaz-Canel -, moments of great satisfaction to see how you gave yourselves to the competition with tremendous dignity and, above all, with resounding results in a group of sports.»
«We have a new batch of young athletes with great potential,» considered the president. «Regardless of the vicissitudes we have had for the development of sports in recent years, due to the economic and social situation that the country has faced, also all the campaigns to discredit the Revolution, Cuban sport is alive, it is thriving and continues to be among the best.»
«The fifth place by countries in the Pan American Games -he stressed- was won with tenacity, with effort, with talent. As if this were not enough, our athletes in the Parapan American Games are also doing a tremendous performance and I believe that they will also go beyond the predictions».
The President added that «many of you surpassed your records, your previous performances, and won medals that were not initially foreseen. This also says how you went out to defend the national colors. «We know what is behind every medal, every performance, every success.»
It is impressive -he continued- «to see how very young people, who were unknown before and now all of Cuba knows them, shone in the sports arena. This fills us with pride and renews our commitment to continue developing the Cuban sports movement.
The president also warned about the need to «make a self-critical analysis of the things that did not go well, of the deficiencies we have to overcome».
«Above all, we must make a rigorous evaluation of collective sports,» he said.
«On behalf of the leadership of the Party, the leadership of the Government, and the Cuban people, congratulations on the success of these Pan American Games. Let’s set our sights on the next Olympic cycle,» he said.
Cuba ended its participation in the Pan American Games in Chile with a total of 69 medals: 30 gold, 22 silver, and 17 bronze, which ranked fifth in the medal table by countries, after the United States, Brazil, Mexico, and Canada.
